Tangled Liaisons
by DymondGold
Summary: Sequel to Copper Possession: My creative juices are not flowing at the moment so I'll only say this will pick up where Cop.Pos. left off. Don't worry, I'll edit this into a more appealing story summary later, I just wanted to get it out there. Regular ships apply: Daisy/Luigi, Mario/Peach, one-sided Bowser/Daisy, and a new one that might surprise you ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Well here it is!**

**The first chapter of the last story in the Luigi/Daisy trilogy! Like with the other two, you'll understand the title somewhere down the line, I promise.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

We were close to Chai.

After Daisy and I had been riding for three days and two nights, that was a welcome fact. We did as we did every night and found a clear space in the wilderness to make camp. We could've stayed at an inn, but we were traveling along the rural path that went around town and to get to one would require us resorting to the scenic route and that would just take longer. We were both tired and could both agree that, even if it meant sleeping outside, it was better to get to Sarasaland as quickly as possible.

"I can take the first watch."

I glanced behind me and saw Daisy tying her horse to a tree. I climbed off of mine and did the same, grateful for the broad width of the tree's base. It was always good to find huge trees to sleep under. I didn't say anything in response to Daisy's words. Since we had to spend the last few nights outside, we slept in turns. I'd taken watch for the last two nights and both times I 'accidentally' forgot to wake Daisy for her turn.

_Can't help it, _I thought, _she's beautiful when she sleeps._

But then, she was always beautiful to me, even now in her rugged travel clothes. She wore a pair of red fitted corduroy jeans and a black tank top with an olive green collared jacket. The girl took the sack my brother gave us and plopped down near the tree's gnarly roots. I came and sat beside her. With our legs stretched out, her black boots nearly reached the toe of my trainers. Daisy leaned her head on my shoulder and rummaged through the supply bag.

"Here it is," She murmured, pulling out a folded fleece blanket.

She also took out the slim black flashlight, the dagger, and a canteen of water. She set these things on the ground between us and then spread the blanket over our legs. I wrapped my arm around her and winced when the rough tree bark scraped my arm; I should've worn a long-sleeved shirt or at least a jacket like her.

"You need to rest, Luigi." Daisy told me.

She looked up at me with those light eyes and I reached over to brush my fingers against her cheek. She closed her eyes and then stared straight ahead. I gazed up at our only source of light in the waning hours: the big, luminescent moon. I don't know how many minutes passed with us just sitting there and the horses making soft snorting noises behind us, but I do know I had started dozing off.

"...Luigi?"

"Mm?" I hummed, my eyes lidded.

Staying up for the past couple of days was starting to take its toll on me. I felt so weary it was like my eyelids had cement bricks on them. I forced myself to blink hard and then tilted my head down towards Daisy's. The girl was wide awake and had a conflicted look on her face.

"What's the matter?" I asked her, sort of slurring my words.

She told me, "I'm just. That is. I'm kind of worried about Alicia."

" 'Licia?" I echoed sleepily.

I used my free hand to wipe at my face and then reached between us to take a sip of the water. It gave me a tiny feeling of refreshment but I knew it would only last so long. With a bit more energy, I regarded Daisy's comment. She was worried about Alicia. That was only natural; we'd left so fast she didn't get a chance to wait around for the other girl to come back from whatever trip she was on. It's been a few days since then, so I suspected Alicia may have returned to her apartment by now.

I said, "If you want, we can go back to Brooklyn and visit her. Once we get settled at your place, that is."

Daisy smiled and scooted closer to me. She put a hand on my chest and the other on my shoulder and pushed a kiss against my jaw.

With her lips near my ear she said softly, "I'd like that. You can go back to sleep now."

And so I did.

But morning came way too fast. Daisy had done the same thing to me and let me sleep through my watch, but it wasn't enough rest to get the lead feeling out of my arms and legs. I woke with the sun in my eyes and stood, stretching. It was very early, that I could see. Daisy was on her horse before I'd even finished getting the kinks out of my neck.

"Won't be long now." She spoke, gazing at the map.

I picked up the blanket and folded it, then put it in the supply sack and slung it over my shoulder. I climbed atop the brown steed I'd borrowed from my brother and gathered the reins in my hands. I dug through the sack once more and took some food out. I took an apple and some trail mix for myself and passed the sack to Daisy. She waved a hand in refusal.

"I already ate." She told me.

I asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Bout an hour."

"And you didn't wake me up?"

"I told you," She said, sidling her horse next to mine, "You needed to rest. Come on, we've got to head this way."

Daisy led the way while I tried to eat and grapple with the reins at the same time. We rode for a few more hours with nothing but blue skies and greenery to look at. It was no wonder my mind began to wander. I thought first about the girl riding in front of me and how much I loved her.

_Enough to leave behind my home and everything I knew as normal life, _I thought.

While it was true there wasn't really anything special about my apartment or my car or my job, together they made up my life and what was familiar to me. And although Brooklyn wasn't exactly Sunshine, America, it was the place I grew up at. I had a ton of memories there. It was a huge thing to just pack up and leave it all behind. One more glance at Daisy let me know I'd made the right choice. If there was something important enough for her to come back to her kingdom, then I was behind her a hundred percent. She was the most important thing in my life.

Now at this point I started to reflect on how utterly dismal my life was before I met the girl. To be fair, it wasn't all bad. Things didn't get too awful until I started gaining feelings for Peach. That whole period was just one big black storm cloud of angst and depression and only now, looking back on it, did I really understand how bad off I was. I mean, the suicide attempt was seriously freaking me out the more I thought about it.

_How could I have sunk so low?_

From there my thoughts drifted back to Daisy and how incredibly rich I was to have a girl like her. I didn't understand how she could be so in love with me, what with her being just _perfect _and being at liberty to have just about any man she wanted. I wasn't the worst she could do, granted, but I still kinda felt like she was a little out of my league.

_Not that I'm complaining, _I smirked.

And that's when I had to bend over to my toes and pick my mind out of the gutter because I started thinking about her lovely eyes and her big, pretty smile and her cute laugh and other, less pg-rated things about her that I loved, like her curvy body and the little noises she made when I-

"What the," Daisy spoke aloud.

She stopped her horse and I came to a halt next to hers. The reason for the hold-up was standing about five feet away from us. It was about twenty or thirty men and women in navy and silver uniforms. I didn't know which was more uptight; their rigid spines or their solemn expressions. They each wore their hair in neat topknots and rode on armored black horses. They regarded us silently for a moment before one of them broke rank and positioned their horse in front of the rest. It was a man atop that horse with clear grey skin and black eyes and a fine silk ribbon in his equally shiny hair. He, too, wore a topknot so that silver-edged navy ribbon was the only splash of color on him; his uniform was plain black. He gazed at me briefly and then at Daisy with those hawkish eyes and then bowed low on his horse. After him, all the other uniformed individuals bowed to us as well and it surprised me because even the horses seemed to be lowering their heads.

_What is this?_

The man in black raised his head and let a very faint flicker of a smile stretch over his pale mouth. He held his head high and I saw what looked like the hilt of a dagger at his waist. He tilted his head and his eyes once again darted over to me for a second.

"Your Highest Majesty, it is an honor," He spoke reverently to Daisy.

The girl's light eyes widened a bit but she sat with just as much regale as the man in front of her. Speaking of him, he'd gone back to that rigid expression again.

"...General Zair." Daisy spoke softly. "It's nice to see you again. I didn't think you'd remember me."

Daisy was gazing at the man in black, or General Zair as she'd called him, with a look that clearly said she knew him. I felt kind of left out. When I saw these people, I figured maybe we'd be in trouble, but that couldn't be the case or else Daisy wouldn't have that wistful smile on her face. Again the man, General Zair, broke his cold mask to let a small smile show through.

He said quietly, "Oh, but how could I forget the little princess who masqueraded as a male recruit under my command?"

Daisy grinned now and asked, "How did you know we were coming?"

The General's gaze flicked to me again before he replied, "Word traveled to the palace that you'd been sighted in the area with a young man."

"So you commissioned a..." Daisy seemed to be suppressing a laugh when she said, "...welcome wagon for me?"

"It was the least we could do for our missing princess." The General spoke simply.

Daisy tilted her head and smiled gently to herself. She glanced at me and I saw her eyes were a little wet. I wondered at that. She bowed her head and let her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, then looked at the general again.

"Does everyone know I'm back?" She asked.

He said, "No one knows but those gathered here. There were rumors, of course, and the people of Chai and the other three Kingdoms never gave up hope that you might have survived."

"...Really?" Daisy asked, quirking a brow.

Her voice sounded kind of small in that instant and the General seemed to soften for another quick second. He nodded his head almost imperceptibly. The only way I could tell was when the two locks of hair on either side of his face moved back and forth.

"We'll escort you to the palace, Princess." The General stated, only turning back to his troops when Daisy gave him a nod.

I watched as the troops on horseback flanked me and Daisy on all sides and led the way towards their home. Daisy rode very close to me; so close we could touch hands if we wanted to.

"So you know him?" I asked her.

_Of course she does; why would you ask her that? They just held a whole conversation._

I winced a little because that was a pretty dumb thing to ask, in hindsight. Daisy didn't seem to mind because she smiled at me and nodded.

"He was General when I was little." She told me. "Before I had to leave with my parents, that is."

"Oh." I spoke, adjusting the reins in my lap. "So this is like, Sarasaland's army?"

Daisy laughed a bit and said, "Not hardly. Sarasaland has four kingdoms and each has their own army with various divisions. This right here is just, well, a welcoming party I guess."

I glanced around at the men and women and figured they couldn't be the entire army, but I forgot about how Sarasaland has four Kingdoms. That meant there had to be thousands of troops employed in the country's military. Another thing occurred to me, then.

"You said this was a welcoming party?" I asked her, then added, "Are you sure? Because they don't look too cheerful."

Again Daisy smiled and said, "For them, this _is _cheerful."

_I'd hate to see how they treat an enemy, then, _I thought wryly.

The troops still rode their horses at the same pace with the same diligent expressions on their faces. They all looked to be sort of middle-aged or older, but that didn't hinder their performance whatsoever. If anything, it made them appear that much more professional as they led us into the gates of Chai Kingdom.

* * *

"What have you done?"

King Boo let the question linger in the air, not because he was hesitant to answer, but because he was trying to figure out what and how much he would divulge at the moment. He'd only just repaired his dining room hours ago, to the point to where there was no evidence of it ever having been destroyed in the first place. Now he stood upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms with a small child sitting on the bed across from him. Only this wasn't just any small child.

It had taken him an minute to realize where he was. Half that time to remember what had just happened. And all of five seconds to recognize that his magic was gone. Now the navy-haired youth sat glaring up at the old immortal, to weak to do more than that at the moment.

"What did you do?" Ludwig demanded again.

King Boo sighed and dropped his arms at his sides, saying, "Ludwig, you must understand. I did what I did in order to protect you. Remember that."

"Just tell me what you did, old man." The child sneered. The expression didn't suit his babyish face at all.

King Boo frowned but gave him a condensed version of the series of events that took place after Ludwig exhausted himself mere hours ago. He told him how his twenty-year-old body was gone and that his consciousness had been transferred to that of his sentient clone's. He was sure to leave out the fact that his former body was sealed for all eternity in the immortal's gallery. Predictably, Ludwig was irate. His emerald eyes narrowed and his fists balled in an inadvertently cute display of fury.

"You really _did_ kill me, didn't you?!" He roared, or at least he would have had his voice not been pitched up a few octaves.

King Boo said slowly, "Ludwig, I didn't kill you. As you can see, you are here, alive and well."

"In a fucking _child's_ body!" Ludwig retorted angrily.

"Language," King Boo chided with a disapproving wince.

Ludwig opened his mouth to respond but suddenly something dawned on him. His eyes widened and his whole body tensed; he practically screamed his panic with these actions. With the sheets gripped tightly in his small hands, Ludwig gazed up at King Boo.

"The power." He stated. "Where is the power?"

"Ludwig-"

"Where is it?!" Ludwig hissed. "Tell me you didn't give it back to that bastard!"

King Boo was silent a beat before asking pensively, "Is that power all you care about?"

"YES!"

"For shame." King Boo sighed. "You've learned absolutely nothing."

"Tell me where the power is!" Ludwig shouted.

King Boo told him, "Inside voice, Ludwig. And rest assured, the power is no closer to the Dark King than it was when you were last alive."

"So you _did _kill me." Ludwig spat. "Whatever you've done, undo it! I know you can!"

"Actually, I can't." King Boo told him, and that was a half-truth.

King Boo didn't know a way to undo what he'd done at the moment, but with a little time and thought, the Lord of Illusions could definitely make it happen. It was all a matter of not wanting to undo it, though.

_I've stood by and let him have his way, _King Boo thought, _now it's time I stay firm in my own actions. I've done this for his own good. No matter how much it makes him resent me._

And King Boo knew that things would never be the same between them again. He would grieve over that later, though. Right now he had to calm down the young adult-turned-child.

"Ludwig," King Boo stated placatingly. "I've put you in this form for a reason."

"Right," Ludwig scowled, "My _protection._"

"No," King Boo spoke patiently, "I've put wards all around the estate for your protection."

"You WHAT?!" Ludwig seemed to shriek. "So I can't leave?!"

"Not for the time being." King Boo answered calmly.

Ludwig's pale face flushed and an indignant look crossed his features. It only looked out of place and still sort of adorable on him at the current time. Ludwig tried to stand but ended up collapsing in a heap before he could take one heap. King Boo instinctively stretched forth a hand to help him but Ludwig smacked it away.

From the floor he asked coldly, "What did you do with my magic?"

"Nothing."

Before Ludwig could get even angrier, King Boo told him, "It's inside you, Ludwig. Just feel around, it's there."

Ludwig glared at him but nonetheless probed around in his body for that familiar pulse of magic. Indeed he did find it, but it was as if it had been stuffed in a box and locked deep inside him. He only caught little wisps of it. He looked stricken up at the immortal.

"What did you do?!" He asked for the third time in the span of a few minutes.

King Boo said, "Your magic is there, but the knowledge of how to use it is gone."

Ludwig did not look impressed. He narrowed his eyes into slants and trembled with barely-bridled rage.

"You sneaky old fool!" He yelled. "How dare you take my magic from me! It's not fair!"

Already his childish impulses were getting the better of him and Ludwig hated it. He glowered at the immortal and was disappointed on so many levels to see King Boo just stare passively down at him. He wanted his words to affect the older sorcerer, to make him feel what he was feeling, to make him hurt. Perhaps that was why he said what he did next in a cruel, even tone.

"I _hate_ you."

"...I know."

* * *

We didn't reach Chai Kingdom until late in the afternoon. The sun was still in the sky but just barely. The sky was dusky orange with hints of pink and there was a warm breeze skirting through the countryside. In front of us lay the tallest pair of iron gates I'd ever seen. They had to be about twenty feet tall and were topped off with impressive spikes that were an additional three or four feet high. The poles of the gates were shiny and polished and looked brand new. Not only that, but all along the surrounding area there was a white-brick wall that stood almost as high. I turned to Daisy.

"That's one way to keep people out," I quipped.

Daisy smiled and said, "Can you believe these walls are thousands of years old? Same goes for the gate."

"Really?" I frowned, disbelieving. "It looks like it was built yesterday."

My girl shrugged and said, "It's annually refurbished."

I could see the payoff in that.

Now that we'd gotten to the gates, I saw Daisy and the troops dismounting their horses so I did the same. General Zair came to stand beside us and gave me another of his fleeting glances before gazing at Daisy. She and I reached for our luggage but before we could get our hands on it, the troops took them for us. A few of them also led the horses away to the right of the wall by the reins. I frowned. Those were my brother's horses, so I figured I should say something.

When I did, General Zair said, "Don't worry about the horses, they'll be taken care of."

Daisy nudged me and added, "He's right, Luigi. There's an underground network beneath the kingdom gates."

She told me then that there was a corral area for the horses that were permitted to leave the kingdom, as well as a number of personnel stationed to respond in the event of an intrusion or outside attack. According to her, there was a whole underground network right below the giant gates. And speaking of those, I wondered when they opened about who was doing the opening, since this was the Mushroom World and I didn't think technology had arrived, let alone automatic gates. But then the girl had explained that there was a hookup connected to the underground network as well, and that it was operated by more people down there. Interesting.

"Right this way, Majesty." General Zair spoke to Daisy.

There were fewer troops flanking us as we entered the kingdom's gates. The dwindled numbers allowed me to see all that was around us on our way to the palace. I felt Daisy slip her hand in mine as we walked and gazed around us. If there was one word I had to use to describe the kingdom, it had to be order. There was a certain neatness to everything that matched the rigidity of the soldiers and General Zair perfectly. The roads we walked on were clean and cobbled, with not so much as dirt lining the sidewalks. There were evenly-trimmed bushes and tiny trees decorating the sides of the roads like a pattern and every now and again we'd pass what looked like wooden trash cans. The buildings were all made from the same sort of white stone or from wood and there was a common theme going on as far color schemes; blue, black, and grey seemed to be the most prevalent hues in this kingdom. Even the people sported them. Women wore long white or grey dresses, men donned pants and shirts in those shades, and the young children had play clothes of the same variety.

Oh, and speaking of the people.

Everybody seemed to be busy doing something. There were people sweeping the streets in front of their shops or doing business with each other or painting buildings. Not just the adults were working, either; there were children watering the plants and picking up various bits of litter and trash that lay around. In addition to keeping clean, people were riding bicycles, sitting on benches reading books, having lunch at a table outside what looked like a restaurant, and just socializing with each other. It seemed quite peaceful and calm here.

As we continued walking, I noticed that people were beginning to stare and whisper at me and Daisy. Some seemed excited, while others seemed skeptical or wary. I didn't know what that was about. I knew they couldn't possibly remember me from my adventurous days with Mario because I sure didn't remember coming here. It wasn't anything like the Mushroom Kingdom, save for the occasional smiles from the people and the somewhat friendly atmosphere. Chai wasn't so much friendly and bubbly as it was quaint and homely. The air wasn't sweet and fragrant like the Mushroom Kingdom's, it was crisp and clean. And due to the lack of wild animals roaming around, there was a significant lack of pungent odors wafting through the streets.

_This place isn't so bad, _I thought. It wasn't my idea of paradise, but it could be a lot worse. I didn't think I'd have to worry about sleeping with one eye open here, at least.

When we got to the palace, I was again impressed with the sense of order there was. On each step of the white building that resembled a Japanese temple there were guards in white and silver uniforms. They each bowed to Daisy as she and I followed General Zair up to the entrance. Between us and the door, a group of distinguished men and women in white and gold-trim silk robes greeted us, if by greet you'd mean stare flatly in our direction. There were eight of them in total, most with gray or graying hair. There was a woman with her salt and pepper hair in a stringent bun that seemed to pull at her gold-colored, feline-like eyes. She had a thin red mouth that was pursed at the moment as she and the other elders bowed to Daisy as well. She was the first to speak.

"So it's true," The woman spoke tonelessly. "The wayward little princess has found her way back."

Daisy spoke quietly when she said, "It's an honor to be back home."

"I'm sure, Your Highness." The woman stated curtly.

She then gazed at Daisy up and down and clearly found something about her appearance wanting. When she flicked her cat-eyes over to me, I felt a chill run up my spine. It was like being in third grade all over again; this woman had that 'teacher' vibe, complete with the no-nonsense attitude. She gazed back at Daisy and I felt the girl's hand tighten in mine, though I hardly thought it was from fear.

"I can't imagine what curious circumstances you must've endured," The woman remarked, then looked at me and added, "to provoke you to keep such...interesting company."

Again Daisy flexed her hand in mine and I squeezed back gently. The girl kept her gaze cool as she sent the woman a brief smile. To my surprise, it was General Zair who spoke next.

"At any rate," He stated loudly, "We are all quite pleased with the return of our Crown Princess."

As if to emphasize this fact, he stepped onto the stair Daisy and I stood on and put his large hand on his shoulder. I saw her relax a bit and noticed something. Up until now, I'd thought General Zair was the stiffest, most monotonous figure in the kingdom. Now I knew I was wrong. There was someone even more uptight than him, and she was wearing a displeased frown.

"You must have had a long journey," The woman spoke unaffectedly. "Come. I'll show you to your rooms."

"That's okay," Daisy told her quickly. "I remember where everything is. I'll just pick a guest room and be out of your hair."

The woman just said, "Very well. You may take the rest of the evening to recuperate from your travels, but I should expect to see you at the seventh hour in the eastern conference room."

"Of course." Daisy spoke in answer, nodding formally.

Assuaged for the moment, the woman and the rest of the elders bowed to her and headed inside. Daisy waited until they were gone to deflate with a relieved sigh and face me. At the same time, General Zair reached into the pocket of his black uniform pants and pulled out a slim white stick.

"Jolly old bunch, aren't they?" He asked Daisy.

She smiled at him and said, "They're about the same as I remember."

I watched in mild surprise as the general made a fist, took his thumb and flicked it against his index finger's joint, and sparked a small blue flame to light the white stick. He then proceeded to shove said stick in his mouth and wipe his hands on his pants.

_Wait...so they have cigarettes here? This kingdom is kind of different from the others, _I thought.

Daisy turned to me and asked, "So what do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Chai."

"Oh," I muttered, then replied. "Um. It's clean."

At that General Zair cracked another faint smile. He then gazed off to the side with his blank mask back in place. The last of his troops stood behind him as he then glanced at the princess.

"I suppose my duties here have been fulfilled." He told her.

She tilted her head and said, "I suppose."

I felt like this was some kind of inside joke with them because they were both sharing a private sort of smile. It didn't last long with the general as he stepped down and walked off with his troops. He walked with a confident sort of swagger I'd only seen before with people like King Boo or Bowser. With him gone, I stared again at Daisy.

"Come on," She told me, her fingers lacing through mine. "We'd better get some rest if we're going to be meeting with the Council in the morning."

* * *

First came the anger. He yelled, screamed, shouted, and demanded answers that the old immortal had no problem dodging. He'd thrown nasty accusations and words that cut deeper than any physical laceration. That had gone on for about a solid twenty four hours.

Then came the frustration. Everything that was unfortunate enough to be in arm's reach he'd tossed, kicked, punched, shattered, broken, busted, mangled, or ruined. He'd tried in vain to access his magic to aid in his violent aims and when that backfired, he shrieked and writhed in the quintessential display of an all-out temper tantrum. For a day and a half this persisted.

After that Ludwig got quiet and King Boo used that time to go about repairing what the navy-haired youth had destroyed. He'd managed to happen upon Ludwig taking his destructive emotions out on himself to the point of trying to end his own life. King Boo would rather amount the attempt to Ludwig having been under the impression that if he escaped his tiny body he'd be free to inhabit his other one, but something in the old immortal wondered if it was really depression that spurred him to launch himself down the stairs. At any rate, Ludwig ran out of creative ideas once King Boo got a strait jacket on him only seven hours later.

Now, after four days, Ludwig was brooding. He wasn't talking, wasn't eating, wasn't acknowledging his presence at all when the immortal brought him meals or popped in to check on him. The youth hadn't left his room at all and hadn't moved from his spot in one of the bedroom's corners. He'd even fallen asleep there, curled up on his side with a scowl on his face. King Boo knew it couldn't be helped. He'd rather have his god-son alive and hating him than dead at the hands of his unforgiving father.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked that first chapter; if so, leave a comment telling me what you think please, I'd love to hear your opinions! **

**We'll be seeing more of everyone else in the chapters to come! Don't worry, both General Zair and the Chai Kingdom Council are OC's and are only here to advance the plot so I won't dwell on them too long. **

**I will see about updating again soon, people. Until next time!**

**~DymondGold~**


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for the enormous wait, I tried posting earlier but I couldn't get any wifi :x**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"Luigi."

"Luigi, wake up."

I turned on my side away from the direction the soft voice was coming from and tried to hold onto the last bit of the dream I was having. It was no use, especially not when the person started shaking my shoulders. I groaned a bit and rolled on my back. To my surprise, I felt a bit of weight come down on my lap. That made my eyes flip open and I blinked up at Daisy's smiling face. Still clad in her sleeping clothes she was, in a pair of cotton shorts and a shirt. She bent down and kissed my cheek.

"Yo." The girl greeted.

"What time is it?" I croaked.

She glanced over at the nightstand and I was surprised to see her cell phone atop it. She reached over and pushed a button to make the screen light up and told me it was only six in the morning. I groaned again. Daisy laughed and folded her legs on either side of mine before plopping down fully on me. I rose on my elbows and faced her.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked.

Daisy told me, "We have to go meet with the Council in an hour."

"Oh yeah." I murmured. "So that's who those people were?"

She nodded and said, "They've been ruling since Ludwig left."

"I thought you said there was a group of generals." I half-remembered.

She shrugged and said, "That's true but the Council always stands behind whoever's in charge."

"Oh." I said, then flopped back on my back.

I did not feel like getting up this early. My body was still tired from the journey here and I wished I could just turn on my side and go back to sleep. I'd closed my eyes when I felt Daisy shift again. I felt her run her hands under my shirt, over my chest, and cracked one eye open.

"Daisy?" I spoke in question.

She just smiled coyly and told me, "We _do_ have a whole hour. There's other things we could get up to."

The girl bent her head down and laid a kiss on the middle of my torso. I felt my body tense at the fluttery sensation of her lips and knew I was starting to become more alert. I sat up and took her by the wrists, then kissed her. She certainly was in a better mood today. I guess that meant she wasn't as worried for her friend anymore. That was good. I didn't like seeing her anxious.

_And I do like it when she gets like this, _I added to myself.

Daisy wrapped her arms round my neck and I let my hands settle over her hips and she tilted her head and I kissed her at that angle. We kept at it for a few minutes more before she sat back with an impish grin.

"We better stop," She stated reluctantly.

I nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess."

She moved off my lap and I was slow in letting go of her smooth, curvy waist. While she headed to the closet, I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth and pretend the girl hadn't woken a sleeping beast inside me. We got ready in under thirty minutes, since I only had to throw on some black pants and a shirt. Daisy wore a pair of teal jeans, her slim leather boots, and a white shirt with lace patterns all over it. She brushed her hair and left it down and we both headed to the door.

"We'll be early," I said as we walked down the hall.

Daisy shrugged and said, "That's good. It's better than being late."

We got to the conference room before anyone else and I held the door open for my princess. She ducked under my arm and I gazed at the inside of the room: stiff blue carpeting, grey-tinged walls, elegant gold-plated cones that held torchlights in them. It was a nice room. There was a portrait on the wall opposite the door, it was a picture of Chai Kingdom. I could tell from the imposing gates and huge wall. In each corner of the room there were white columns that held blue vases of white lilies and violets. In the center of the room was an oval-shaped wooden table with chairs pulled up to it. It was here that Daisy and I took our seat. She sat in the middle facing the door, so I came and sat at her right. It wasn't even a full minute before the Council came filing in.

"Good morning," Daisy greeted.

They all nodded politely at her but didn't smile or speak back. Leading them was the stern, golden-eyed woman from yesterday. They surrounded us at the table and this woman cleared her throat.

"I trust you've had your rest, Your Majesty?" She solicited.

Daisy nodded.

"Good." The woman stated. "Now if you don't mind, there's some things we'd like to discuss."

"Go on." Daisy encouraged.

"There is, of course, the obvious matter of your return." The woman began.

"What of it?" Daisy asked.

"Do you plan to stay?" The council woman asked bluntly. "And if so, do you plan to rule?"

"Yes and yes." Daisy answered with a nod.

"Since that is the case," The woman spoke, "We'll have to ask that you give your word to remain here in the country until you've either renounced your throne, have been expunged by the Council, or have passed on your birthright to a future heir."

At that I thought about the Council and how much power they seemed to have. Not only could they demand the attention of the princess, but apparently they could decide if she could rule or not. That was interesting. I didn't dwell on the part about an heir. That was a matter for a private moment.

Daisy didn't hesitate before responding to what had been said. She sat with her back erect and her countenance solemn.

"Under penalty of treason, I give my word I'll remain here." She told them.

_Penalty of treason? _

The council woman glanced at her counterparts and shared a few hushed words. They spoke and glanced our way a few times before addressing their princess again.

The stern woman said, "Very well. I expect you'll be able to attend to your duties at once, then?"

"As soon as I've been briefed on the state of affairs here in Chai and the other kingdoms." Daisy replied.

The woman nodded, seemingly pleased. She then turned to me and I couldn't tell how she felt when her feline gaze lingered on my person.

"May I now ask what the nature of your relationship is with this young man?" She asked Daisy.

The girl glanced at me and answered, "This is Luigi. He's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" The woman echoed, then turned to me and asked, "And will you be staying as well, Master Luigi?"

I nodded.

Another of the council members suddenly peered at me closely, scratching his balding grey head curiously. He nudged another council member and they began to talk amongst themselves again. Even the golden-eyed woman pitched in a few quiet words. After a moment, the elders turned back to me.

"I say," the man from earlier spoke, "Aren't you Luigi Mario, brother to Mario Mario?"

I nodded again.

Now the woman's gold eyes alighted and she asked, "Is that so? In that case, there is something we would require of you, if you would accept the responsibility."

"Okay." I spoke, intrigued.

The woman said, "We are prepared to name you Commander over a new division of troops that will deal solely with affairs pertaining to the Dark King."

"What?" I blurted. "Me? Commander?"

"Yes." The woman nodded once. "There will be but five score individuals under your leadership. You would have authoritative liberty to enlist them in whatever project or mission you see fit."

"I can't do that." I frowned, "I've never even been in the military before."

Another council member with thick black brows said, "But you have dealt with the Dark King in close combat on multiple occasions, with and without your brother."

_How did they know that? _

"Still," I argued, "I've never lead anyone before."

The most experience I had in the military area was when I went to boot camp in high school, and in the leadership area, well; I was almost certain leading troops and babysitting a handful of kids wasn't the same thing.

"For this positon," The gold-eyed woman continued, "There is none more qualified than you. But as I previously stated, it's up to you to accept this role or not."

"If it will allay your anxiety," One of the other councilman spoke, "You will have access to elite military instruction while you are here."

_Okay, _I thought, _that doesn't sound too bad. And they do have a point; if there's anyone who knows what it's like to face Bowser, it's me and Daisy. I would say she's a ton more qualified but as princess, there's no way she'd have the time to do this. _

"I accept." I declared, which again seemed to please the gold-eyed council woman.

She said, "Wonderful. We'll see to it that one of our generals meets with you to further discuss your duties. Do you have any other questions?"

I shook my head since none were forthcoming.

The woman then turned to Daisy and asked, "Princess? Is there something you would like to bring up?"

"No." Daisy replied after a moment of thought.

The woman said, "Then I declare this meeting adjourned."

The Council stood, bowed to Daisy, and left the room in the same orderly fashion as when they'd come in. I glanced at Daisy and blinked.

"Commander?" I spoke, then added. "A step up from plumbing and the pizza parlor, I guess."

Daisy grinned and said, "I'm sure you'll do great as a leader, Luigi."

She then stood and took my hand. I gave hers a squeeze and asked where we were going now.

"To the dining room." She replied, then said, "I don't know about you, but I am _famished_."

* * *

Two redheads walked into a bar. One older and with a slight frown on his face, and the other only a few years old and with a curious expression alighting his features. Junior held his father's hand as they entered the tavern. It was a small establishment in an even smaller town in a remote country that no one would ever think to find the ostentatious Dark King. He'd contacted one of his allies as soon as he left the former safe house and had set up a plan for them to meet at this precise location.

_Should have picked a dumpster instead, _the royal thought with a sneer, _it would probably smell better than this place. _

He ran a hand through his thick red mane and stepped past the double doors of the tavern. He'd traveled on foot for only a few miles before robbing some unfortunate soul of their horse and now the king glanced behind him at the surrounding woody area. He'd tied the steed to a tree. Besides his gold medallion, the silk pants on his legs and the steel-toed boots on his feet, the king had nothing. His son was clothed in a bit more garments, what with his black silk vest, grey shirt, and black pants. It went without saying that the boy didn't have on any shoes.

"What's in here, Daddy?" Junior asked, his large jade eyes blinking rapidly.

Like his father, the child had to get used to the significantly dimmer lighting in the bar. Bowser cringed at the broken glass and spilled food and sticky liquids littering the wooden floor of the place. Without thinking, he reached back and picked up his heir, settling the boy on his back. Junior wrapped his arms around his father's neck and sighed because he didn't think he'd get an answer to his earlier question.

The Dark King narrowed his gold-flecked eyes as he searched the crowded tavern for his ally. Dozens of other pairs of eyes met his, but they didn't have the gall to stay locked on those sharp jade eyes for long. Even those who weren't aware of who he was seemed to fear Bowser. Something about the way he carried himself exuded dominance and strength, not to mention he had no shirt and so his rather adequate physique was on display.

"Who you looking for?" Junior then asked near his father's ear.

Bowser cringed a bit but didn't answer the boy. He took even steps towards the back of the bar, pushing chairs and tables and even other patrons out of his way.

_Where **is** he? _Bowser thought irritably. He had a very special way of contacting this particular person, so he knew they'd be here, it was all a matter of finding out where exactly they were.

_There,_ the Dark King thought as his gaze zeroed in on a figure wearing expensive clothing. The man was in the very back corner of the bar, sitting at a table for three with his feet on the table and his chair reclined. Bowser made his way over to the man and pulled out his chair. He then plopped his son down in the seat to his left and Junior's red-haired head didn't even come up to the edge of the table. At their arrival, the other figure slung his feet down and put his chair on all fours.

He was a lean man, with tailored black pants and chain links on his leather boots and a fine, royal blue dress shirt on that seemed to shine as if made from water. He, too, wore a chain round his neck; a gold one with thick links. Over his shirt he wore a black jacket that trailed down to his ankles and was pushed up to his elbows, which gave sight to dark markings on the pale skin of his forearms.. A faint smirk crossed his pale mouth at the sight of the Dark King, but it was the five-year-old he addressed first. Facing Junior, he leveled the child with his icy blue-grey eyes and smiled.

"Well look who's grown," He spoke in his soft, accented voice.

Junior tilted his head but didn't recognize the man. Bowser glanced from his heir to the man with the long hair. Long it was, down to his shoulders. It was tangled and had a wet, stringy look about it but it was shiny and much softer than it appeared to be. This man ran slender fingers through it and leaned forward in his seat.

"So is there a reason you've sought me out?" He asked of the king.

Bowser told him, "I have a job for you."

The man leaned back at once and snorted softly. Already he was disinterested. He folded his arms across his chest and Bowser cocked a brow at that.

He said, "There's something I'm looking for."

"Then you should have called my brother," The other man replied.

Bower told him, "You are the better hunter, Nikolai."

"I know," This Nikolai spoke with a smirk, "But I'm not with the League right now. I've been on a more personal crusade for the last few years."

"Oh?" Bowser prompted.

Again Nikolai smirked and said, "I'm looking for something as well. A special little treasure that seemed to have gotten away from me."

He glanced beyond the Dark King and his stormy blue eyes seemed a million miles away. Bowser frowned and lifted a red brow again.

"Right," he drawled, "Forget I asked. What's it gonna' take for you to come out of commission?"

Nikolai tilted his head and let a sigh out through his nose. He narrowed his eyes and drummed his finger on his arm. For minutes he didn't speak, which caused the king to exhibit a rare show of patience in this instance. His son had taken to staring at his feet and swinging his legs while the two adults conversed.

"You could help make my job go a lot faster," Nikolai spoke at last, cryptically.

Bowser frowned and asked, "How? If _you_ can't find what you're looking for, what the hell could I do?"

"It's not a problem of finding this…treasure of mine," Nikolai shrugged, "It's a matter of getting my hands on it."

"So what do you want me to do?" Bowser asked flatly.

"Are you still in contact with Tamaryn?" Nikolai asked with sudden interest.

Bowser rolled his eyes and said, "I could be. Why?"

"I want you to arrange a meeting between us." Nikolai requested.

Now Bowser just scoffed and said, "She hates you."

"I know," Nikolai sniffed, "Not that it's any fault of mine."

"Yes it is." Bowser smirked. "And you know she can hold a grudge for ages."

"I know," Nikolai said again. "But I also know that she'll listen to you, so get her to meet with me. I need something from her. It's of the utmost importance."

"Whatever it is, she's not gonna' give it to you." Bowser predicted with an amused smirk at the other's expense.

Still Nikolai persisted and said, "Just arrange a meeting between us and I will be at your service."

"Serve me first," The Dark King amended. "And I'll make sure you get what you want."

"On your word?"

"Of course."

Nikolai smiled broadly and it wasn't a pleasant sight; he had four sharp teeth in each corner of his grin that made him appear wolfish and predatory.

Nikolai and the League he was affiliated with were long-time allies of the Dark King. He knew he had nothing to lose by first hunting down whatever unfortunate creature Bowser had in mind. Nikolai knew the king would hold to his word because this was an alliance the royal just couldn't afford to lose.

"So." The immortal remarked. "What am I looking for?"

* * *

For Lemmy, the last few days had been hard. All of his siblings were gone and so was his best friend. The palace was eerily empty without anyone around to run things. Most of the servants either kept to themselves or made arrangements to leave for good. Lemmy tried to busy himself with sneaking around and spying on people, but that got tiresome after a while. And exploring the palace was a lot easier now, but it just wasn't as much fun without the Crown Prince by his side. Like always, Lemmy had sought out the Mistress when his stomach went to grumbling and a meal was provided for him. He sat at the table he and Junior used to play at and ate his cheese, bread, and apples in silence.

_I wonder why everybody left me behind, _he wondered forlornly.

The seven-year-old crunched on the juicy red fruit and pushed his multi-colored hair out of his eyes. It'd gotten thicker and there were more green and yellow strands than any other color. He reached forward and picked up his kid-sized cup. Like the rest of the table and the floor around his bare feet, there was flour coating the base of the cup but Lemmy didn't mind. There was already dirt stains on his clean white shirt and white silk pants from when he'd been down in the training room practicing his magic and the moves Ludwig had taught him. Lemmy didn't particular enjoy the strenuous regimen, but it helped him feel a bit closer to his missing older brother in a way. He'd climbed on MJ's weight set and sat and listened to Roy's boom-box and had wandered into Wendy's room for the same reasons. He really missed his siblings.

"I'm not sure, little one."

Lemmy stopped sipping at his cup of water and turned to stare in the direction of the Mistress' voice. She'd spoken to someone and for a second, he'd thought it was him. That was what she called him, anyway. But Lemmy hadn't said anything to begin with and he soon heard someone's voice talking back to her. Lemmy couldn't tell who it was because their voice was very soft and quiet. The child rose from the small table and walked over towards the side doors that would lead to the servants' quarters. He meandered past fallen dish rags, spilled ingredients, and other hazards. When he got to the door he saw the bottom of Mistress' white skirts. Then he saw who she was speaking to.

"IGGY!"

The thirteen-year-old was taken aback when Lemmy crashed into him. The child hugged his brother's middle and buried his face in Iggy's white cloak. It smelled like fire but looked brand new and had a silver ring with lime green stones holding it at his throat. Iggy's bright eyes widened a bit as he gazed down at his baby brother and he lifted a fine green brow. He'd changed. Not only was he a bit more muscular from what Lemmy could feel, his stomach was harder for one, but his hair was thicker and very neatly combed. He'd cut it so that the front locks curved under his chin now and the back was shorn close to his head. It suited him and his pale, delicate features.

He bent down a bit and patted the top of his younger brother's head, sparing a faint smile for the child. He then nodded at the Mistress and led Lemmy by the hand out of the kitchen.

"Iggy, where were you?" Lemmy asked, his voice echoing through the empty palace.

"It doesn't matter," Iggy replied vaguely. "I've come full circle."

All the leads King Boo had given him turned out to be outdated or not as useful as he'd have hoped. No one was to blame there. Iggy had then decided to return to the palace in the hopes of finding some kind of clues about his origins in the library or the king's study or the archives room, but he'd searched the place and had come up empty. He'd went to the Mistress as a last resort, hoping she may have heard something through the years. He had no such luck. Now he was at a loss of what to do.

_I suppose I could go back to King Boo, _he mused, then thought, _for what? He's already told me as much as he could. _

"Where is everybody?" Iggy suddenly asked, stopping in the throne room.

Lemmy told him, "Gone away."

Iggy then asked, "Gone where?"

"Lu had sent Wen and Larry and Roy and MJ away," Lemmy answered. "I don't know where they went but they've been gone for a real long time now. And Lu is gone, too. I don't know where he went at all."

Iggy pondered this and narrowed his eyes. He'd not heard anything about his siblings being sent off and wondered if they were in the other world that Ludwig had promised to send them.

_Not hardly, _Iggy then figured. _It's more likely he had them doing something pertaining to our training. But I wonder where he is? _

"What about Bowser Junior?" Iggy then asked.

He'd only asked because he was used to seeing his brother and the prince together all the time. Now he witnessed Lemmy's expression turn crestfallen.

"B-Jun left with his daddy."

"Excuse me?"

"He and his daddy left." Lemmy repeated.

Iggy frowned at that. He knew who Junior's father was, and he also knew when Lemmy was fibbing and when the boy was telling the truth; this appeared to be the case of the latter, which only confused the porcelain-skinned adolescent. He furrowed his brow and then shook his head. He decided in that instant to take his quest in a new direction.

He started heading for the entrance doors and heard his brother come running up behind him. Lemmy grabbed his hand and made Iggy stop and regard him patiently.

"Iggy, wait!" Lemmy pleaded. "Don't leave me here by myself!"

Iggy's eyes softened and he took Lemmy's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smoothed his brother's hair with his free hand and smiled faintly again.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He told him fondly, "From now on you stick with me."

Lemmy grinned and asked, "Really? Where we going?"

"You'll see. Come on."

* * *

**A/N: That's all for now, thanks for reading! There's much more to come so stay tuned. And don't forget to leave a review and tell me all about what you think and what you liked or disliked. **

**So Bowser and his son are legging it, King Boo has Ludwig under lock-down, Daisy is about to start running things in Sarasaland and Luigi's about to get real busy real soon with training and commanding some troops. We still have to check in on Alicia and Mario and the others to see what they're up to so look forward to that.**

**By the way**

**Can anyone guess who Nikolai is and what he's looking for? I'd love to hear your guesses. **

**Until next time!**

**~DymondGold~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Daisy was gone when I woke up. There was nothing but the smell of her shampoo and the messy sheets on her side of the bed to let me know she'd even been there. I blinked and rolled over and glanced at the door. There was a man there. He was the reason I was awake in the first place; I'd heard someone knocking and then jolted awake to find myself alone in bed.

"Master Luigi," The uniformed man spoke politely. "I was told to inform you that your presence is requested at the palace steps."

I frowned but said, "Okay. Thanks."

The man nodded but still stood there.

"Uh," I hesitated. "Did you need something else?"

"You haven't dismissed," The man told me. "So I assumed it was _you _who wanted more of _me._"

"Oh!" I blurted. "Uh, sorry, I'm not from here, I mean you already know."

The man cocked a brow as if in question.

Slowly I amended, "Or maybe you don't, but um. Yeah. I'm not familiar with the customs and stuff...of the palace..."

_Rambling, man, stop rambling, _I chided myself.

In a clear voice I said, "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Master Luigi." The man spoke and then bowed his way out of the room.

I sighed and knew I'd have to get used to living here and behaving accordingly. I just wasn't prepared for people to start treating me like someone I wasn't, and I wasn't ready to pretend to be something I'm not.

_Well, no one's asked me to pretend, but what am I supposed to do? My knowledge of royalty is kinda' limited to comic books, Disney movies, and daytime tv_

_Oh, and the royal couple in England. Can't forget them. _

I didn't know who requested me or why, so I couldn't be sure on how I should dress. I figured everyone had to be allowed to make at least one mistake, though, so I dressed casually in plain black pants and a slightly nice white shirt with short sleeves. I put my trainers on and as I was lacing them up, I remembered I was in Chai Kingdom, so maybe everyone _wasn't _entitled to mistakes.

_Everybody seems so uptight here, _I thought, but my clothes were already on and I didn't want to keep my mystery summoner waiting. If I wasn't dressed appropriately, oh well.

Once dressed, I went over to the bed and made it up, then combed through my hair with my fingers. I winced because it was high time I cut my nails. Walking down the stairs and towards the front doors, I noticed people bowed to me as I made my way past them. Odd and uncomfortable were two words that came to mind to describe the phenomena.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and kept moving in the quiet palace. The place would seem empty if not for the guards at their stations. It had to be pretty early. This was confirmed when I got outside the doors and saw the sky still colored greyish-blue. It wasn't even sunrise, yet.

_How early did Daisy get up? _

Aside from that, I was surprised to see even more people up and about outside. There was a sort of familiar figure standing tall on the palace steps with his sharp black eyes on me.

"Good morning." He greeted in a brusque tone.

I said, "Good morning General..."

_Zane? Zed? Zydeco? _

Okay, so I knew that last one wasn't right, but I'd forgotten the General's exotic name.

"Are you the one who called for me?" I diverted.

"Indeed." The pale man nodded, then asked me, "Would you still be interested in accepting your role as Commander?"

_Commander? What in the...oh, right. _

I told him, "Yeah, I would."

"Then we'd better get started."

* * *

Not for the first time, Alicia ran a stop sign. It was big and red and right in front of her and yet she'd driven right past it. She wouldn't have even known it, either, if it hadn't been for someone blowing their horn at her as they narrowly missed clipping the front of her car with the side of theirs. Alicia endured the shouted expletives from the passing driver and groaned inside. The girl made a note to pay closer attention. She was in New York, just a few miles away from Brooklyn; it wouldn't do to have an accident this close to the end of her journey.

"I gotta' let it go," The young woman murmured to herself.

She was talking about the incessant thoughts that were assaulting her mind regarding her last encounter with Munson and Wendy. She'd been told by the boy that they would be alright, but Alicia couldn't shake the guilty feeling that went along with leaving two teenage runaways alone in the big state of Maine. But no matter how bad she felt, the deed was done. She was almost home now and had to get back to work this week. And even if she were to hustle back up to Maine and somehow managed to catch up to Munson and Wendy, who could be long gone from the hotel by now, what could she do? Stick around and raise them or something? She had a life now, and she had to be wary of who she associated with. Even though the eighteen year old was relatively harmless, he could be in league with people from their shared past. She wouldn't jeopardize her own happiness for the sake of anyone else, not even the boy who'd helped her out.

Alicia sighed and slowed to a stop at a red light. While idling, the girl tapped her fingers against the steering wheel and felt no better about the situation. She glanced to the side and saw her phone resting near her purse on the passenger's seat. She reached over and picked it up, then dialed a number she knew by heart.

"Alicia?"

The woman smiled deeply and said, "Yup, it's me, Dean."

"Where are you?" She heard the young man ask worriedly.

Again she smiled and told him, "Close. I'll be at the apartment soon."

"Good," Dean replied. "So everything went okay?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Alicia seemed to sigh.

Dean asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm good." Alicia spoke tiredly, then perked and said, "But you know what would make me even better?"

"What?"

"If I came home and saw that my super-mega-awesome boyfriend made me a nice, hot bowl of chili."

"Done." Dean replied softly. "Drive carefully, alright?"

"I'm always careful, dude." Alicia smirked, then made a smooching noise into the phone.

In response, she heard Dean give her a quiet laugh and the two bade each other goodbye for now. She tossed the phone back over to the passenger's seat and spent the next half-hour calming herself down.

_It's done, _she told herself, _I've made my decision, I helped them as best I could, the matter's over._

By the time she got to her apartment, the girl was much more at ease with her situation. She could smell something hot and spicy as soon as she turned her key in the lock and got through the door and that made her smile. Dean was waiting for her.

"You're back." he murmured as he wrapped her in a hug.

Alicia held him as well but couldn't help but notice that Dean's hug was a bit tighter than usual. She pulled back and pecked him on the mouth, then headed to the bathroom. Along the way, she dropped her keys on the dining room table and shed her jacket. The girl got to her bedroom and gathered her clothes for a shower and felt her body tingle in anticipation of the hot, steady spray of soothing water over her weary body.

_I wonder how Daisy's doing, _she thought once stripped and standing in her tub. Alicia felt a stab of sadness and longing course through her, but it was nothing that couldn't be pushed away in favor of relishing in the warm water flowing over her body. She soaked her long, thick curly hair and then, when she was finished bathing, wrung out her locks over her shoulder. In a towel she stood out of the tub and in front of the mirror. Her reflection, her own dark eyes stared back at her.

Alicia sighed and got dressed in her pink t-shirt and sweatpants, then slid her feet into her black flip-flops. She left the bathroom and put her dirty clothes away, then went into the kitchen. Dean was standing there at the stove with a wooden spoon in one hand and a thick glass bowl in the other. In the red dish was her favorite meal of all time, made to order by the young man she'd grown to love so much. Alicia put her hand over his cheek and kissed him lightly.

"Thank you," She told him and took the bowl.

Alicia went over to the couch and plucked the remote from the coffee table, then switched on the tv. Nothing was really on, but she settled on a movie that was playing. Something that could buzz in the background as she enjoyed her meal. Alicia snuggled deeply into the couch cushions and crossed her legs. She took a spoonful of the bean and beef and tomato creation and blew on it for a second, then stuck it in her mouth. She released a little noise of appreciation as she savored that bite and the many that followed.

Without a word, Dean came over to his girlfriend and set a cool glass of water down in front of her, then stood off to the side and watched her eat. It wasn't a dainty sight. When Alicia really got going, it just looked like she was shoveling food into her face. She would stop every now and again to slide her pinkie against the side of her mouth to wipe away whatever slipped there, but in general she ate without ceasing. The girl seemed ravenous. A tiny smile pulled at Dean's mouth as he witnessed her behavior.

_What the, _Alicia suddenly thought.

She halted in her actions and fiddled with her mouth. She tried to be as neat as possible in pulling what felt like plastic from the side of her teeth. She gazed at the tiny fragment and laughed.

"Dean, baby, I think you left the wrapper in here." She teased, then frowned.

She was gazing back into the bowl and saw something strange. Alicia picked out another piece of plastic, but upon wiping it off with her fingertips, she noticed it was a little tiny zip-lock bag. Inside it was.

"Dean," Alicia spoke slowly, "What is this?"

Oh, she knew what it was. Inside the bag that still bore her teeth marks was a gold and metal and diamond object; a ring. She knew what it was, but she didn't know what was going on. The more seconds that passed, the more she understood. Dean, in his t-shirt and jeans, pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and walked over to Alicia. She pulled her gaze from the ring to Dean and gazed at him in question.

"It's a ring, Alicia." He told her simply.

"I know that," Alicia snapped, but her voice was soft.

Dean pushed his black dreads over his shoulder and said, "It was my mother's, and I want you to have it."

Alicia felt her chest tighten and her heart skip a beat at those words. Her body felt stiff, tense, and she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. She was gripping the plastic bag tightly between her fingers but relinquished her hold on it once Dean reached down to take it. Her hands were shaking when she wiped them on her knees. And speaking of those, Dean got down on his and that's when Alicia's eyes prickled and stung with the threat of tears.

Dean opened the bag and took out the ring, then reached for Alicia's still-shaking hand. He slid that ring onto her finger like it belonged and then kissed her knuckles. Dean took both her hands then and stood with her. Alicia was afraid her knees would buckle but Dean instinctively put an arm around her waist and laced his fingers through her now-jeweled hand.

"Alicia," He spoke softly, "Being apart from you only made me realize how much I love you and need you in my life."

"...Dean..."

"I want you to be my wife," Dean spoke in his gentle voice, then asked, "Will you marry me, Alicia?"

He gazed down at Alicia with so much love and genuine care in his eyes and it made Alicia's heart _hurt, _like really ache. She lost her voice for a moment.

"Please don't cry," Dean coaxed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

He brushed at her face with the pad of his thumb and kissed her forehead, then her lips. Alicia kissed him back with fervor and then laughed. Dean was confused because there were still tears coming out of her sparkling eyes.

"It's okay," She told him, "I'm just really, really happy!"

She wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him again and then leaned her forehead against his.

"Of _course_ I'll marry you," Alicia told him. "What took you so long to ask?"

* * *

**A/N: Um. Yeah. There's the third chapter. It took me a while to get this up because I couldn't decide on the order of events. Things got mixed up in my outline. **

**On an unrelated note, there was a giant storm where I live and I was messing with the power cord for my tv and then bam! I felt a little jolt and the power blew out and, long story short, don't be surprised if I get super-powers soon. **

**Anyway, I'll see when I can update again. Please be patient because I have a million things on my plate right now, it's like I'm at a buffet [corny, I know]. I am doing my best to balance things but something's gotta give. Hopefully not the story. **

**Until next time!**

**~DymondGold~**


	4. Chapter 4

**I added more to this chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

It was a good thing I was wearing light, casual clothes because as the day progressed, it got hotter. The General led me from the palace steps to a giant field. The grass was vividly green and the land was full of tiny flowers and gently sloping hills. I found the most interesting thing was that it was eerily similar to the background on my old laptop computer, complete with a sky that was getting bluer by the minute.

"Where are we going?" I decided to ask.

General Zair and I hadn't spoken to each other beyond those brief words at the castle. Now we were miles behind it in what looked like the middle of nowhere. I wondered idly if this was just an open area he wanted to train me at.

"We're here." The pale man spoke in answer.

I watched him tuck his hands into the pockets of his steel-grey pants and move his foot back and forth in the grass. I wondered at that, because it looked like he was just pushing the dirt around. Then I saw an entire patch of grass move aside as if it were nothing more than a cleverly-disguised rug. A brown wooden hatch was revealed, and the General used the toe of his grey boot to lift it open. It thumped against the ground and gave light to a set of stone stairs.

"What the..." I trailed, because this was just too weird.

"After you," General Zair spoke with slightly raised black brows.

I glanced at him in disbelief so he just sighed a little and started heading down the stairs. I couldn't see him after about the fifth step so I sucked in a breath, released it, and descended after him.

"Glad you decided to join me, boy." General Zair's voice resounded.

I couldn't even see him because the hatch slid shut after me and we were bathed in total darkness. I was cautious in the way I climbed down each stair, taking my time and listening for the general's footsteps ahead of me. Suddenly there was light and I could see it came in the form of blue fire directly from General Zair's pale right hand. He had it extended towards a small cage on the wall. It was shaped like a honeycomb and there was a pipeline stemming from it that led to another identical one, and that one led to another and so on. The fire the General lit traveled through those tiny pipelines and lit all the other honeycomb fixtures so that the entire place was illuminated.

Semi-illuminated.

It was still kinda' dark, but there was enough light for me to tell that the place was pretty huge. It was expansive and full of strange equipment and weapons and devices. It was like a cross between a gym and a torture chamber; it wasn't at all appealing. Somehow, though, the General seemed to fit right in with his smoky grey clothes and pale grey skin. I scratched my arm and nervously looked at all the equipment again.

_What, does this whole city operate underground? _

"Why is the training area down here?" I asked the general.

General Zair tilted his head and asked, "Do you remember when you said Chai Kingdom seemed...clean?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"It's not."

I didn't see how that answered my question at all, but General Zair was pulling a white cigarette out of his pocket so I figured that's all I'd get out of him. He lit it up with his thumb and waved me over to where he was walking near a machine.

Now this thing looked like another combination; carousel and treadmill came to mind. The thing was like a circular track on cylinder beams with a series of interlocking metal material covering it. There were banisters on both sides and a gate with a couple steps leading up to it.

"Go on," General Zair called to me as he walked off to the side.

While he went over to the nearest wall, I stepped onto the thing I'd just call a treadmill for now. General Zair was standing near a panel of shelves and from one of them he pulled a clipboard and a black pencil and a starch piece of paper. He came back over to me and tucked the pencil behind his ear. Only now did I see it was sort of pointed at the tip, his ear that is. He held his clipboard at his side and stood to my left.

"You should stretch your body." He advised me.

I shrugged and then did as he suggested. I pulled my arms over my head, bent down to my feet, and swung my arms side to side and across my chest.

"Before initiating any formal sort of training, I'll need to first see where you stand on the scale of physical aptitude." General Zair explained. "I'll take you through various stations to assess the current condition of your body."

"Alright." I nodded.

_That makes sense; get the body in gear in general before starting any special lessons, _I thought.

The General then reached for something in the same boxed area that the gate was located. It looked like a giant cane, like a crank-shaft thing.

_I think that falls under the 'carousel' aspect of this machine. _

He pulled the shift backwards a little bit and my body lurched forward a little because the ground under my feet had begun to move. It was a small change from immobility, just a slow rotating movement. I let the mat carry me forward before I started walking. General Zair nodded from his place at the gate and I continued walking. That lasted for about a minute before he pulled the shift backwards a tiny bit more. I picked up the pace slightly. We didn't need to talk to each other for me to get the gist of this exercise.

_This isn't so bad, _I figured while making my third or fourth revolution around the moving track.

In a few minutes, I was re-thinking those words.

The General had steadily increased the pace to the point to where I now had to jog. I wasn't the most athletic person around, but I wasn't a slob by any standard, either. I could handle the pace, but I was starting to sweat, especially when the minutes wore on.

Again General Zair increased the pace and I had to compensate. Each footfall came quicker than the last, my breathing turned to panting, and the moisture accumulated on my arms and chest and legs. The dim, sooty walls of the underground training room seemed like a blur as I rounded the track again and again.

I don't know when, but somewhere along the line I had to break out into a sprint. The only sounds I heard was the whirring of the beams under the machine, the thumping of my trainers hitting the floor, and the blood rushing in my ears. I could feel my heart beating furiously in my chest as I ran, just ran like the devil was on my heels. I could barely make anything out as it flitted past my vision but I could have sworn I saw a new light in the General's black eyes. I didn't question it.

About ten long, agonizing minutes later I glanced at him again and he was definitely watching me intensely. He moved his hand further, further, further back until I was barely staying on my feet as I ran the track with all my might.

_Uh, you can stop now, _I thought, but I didn't speak those words because that would require work and oxygen that I just couldn't spare at the moment. I was too busy trying to maintain the flow of air into my lungs and keep from stumbling. To help myself, I focused on one single spot and just pushed myself to keep going.

_Is he gonna' stop or what? _

Ten more minutes passed and I felt myself starting to shake with every corner I rounded. I glanced with candid desperation at the General, hoping he'd see my clear struggle to go on and grant me some kind of reprieve.

He brought the shift all the way back.

The next two seconds happened in the blink of an eye. I felt the moving track whip from under my soles as the speed increased. My head plummeted and I vaguely recall throwing my hands in front of my face protectively. From there my head hit the track and I was jerked onto my side and flew through the gap in between the railing and the mat. My back hit the wall and then there was pain. Lots of pain.

_Let's see, _I gauged, _my hands hurt, my head hurts, my ankle hurts, and my back is killing me. _

I laid my palms against the sooty floor and winced because they were a bit raw from where they'd gotten mat-burn against the track. My back was smarting as I sat up but it would pass. As for my ankle, well, I cradled and massaged it for a couple seconds and the pain also went away. My head just felt a little tender but thanks to my hands getting in the way of the track, there wasn't a cut or anything. There would be no lasting damage.

A pale hand stuck out in front of me.

"Are you alright?"

I took the General's proffered hand warily and he helped me to my feet. His grip was strong and he kind of yanked me but the man didn't seem to harbor any ill-will, which made this even more confusing.

_Why wouldn't he stop the machine? _

"I'm fine." I told him quietly. "Just sore."

General Zair nodded once and pulled his pencil from behind his ear. He took a second to scribble down some notes and then put the writing utensil away. He then led me to another station in the underground room. It was a spot near the corner and looked like an obstacle course.

"Cool," I hummed to myself, thinking this would be a tad less strenuous than the last exercise.

I rolled my shoulders and remembered being in grade school and doing things like this on field days. Granted, the things took place outside rather than indoors but it had the same variety of activities. There was a rope lining wall to wall that formed a sort of lane for the area.

"I'm going to be right here," General Zair spoke, going over to the wall.

He was at the left of me and the rope barrier, standing near a panel of switches. I frowned because I'd seen him use his fire to brighten the place already, so those weren't light switches.

"What are those for?" I asked him.

General Zair's mouth twitched. "You'll see."

_Great, _I frowned briefly.

I stepped up onto a raised metal platform and saw that the next exercise was self-explanatory. At my feet there was a cord with wooden handles. I knew how to jump rope. Again, grade school. The task was too simple for words. I started jumping and didn't stop until I saw General Zair flip one of the switches. That's when I paused because the metal platform was moving.

_What? _

I watched the metal under my feet slide backwards to reveal a pit of sand. It was like the platform was filled with it. I glanced at General Zair and he gazed back solemnly.

"You'd better keep moving," he warned.

Quickly I saw why; my feet were sinking. The sand was sinking fast under my feet, swallowing up my black trainers and dragging me down. I frowned and fought to free myself.

"What is this?" I asked aloud.

I got no answer but I didn't want to find out how low I would go if I stayed still, so I started jumping again. It kinda went without saying that jumping rope was about a million times harder when I was standing in quicksand. The stuff kept weighing me down and making me stumble and trip.

General Zair flipped another switch.

This time, little green vines started sprouting from the corners of the sand-filled platform. They started whipping at my legs and I could feel the sting even through the hem of my pants.

_Ow, what the hell? _

Faster I jumped, though I had no choice now. It was the only way to stay above the sand and avoid getting snapped at, too. I was totally sweating now, and it made holding onto the wooden handles that much harder.

_Focus, _I urged myself.

I glanced at the General and, though he didn't flip anymore switches, he was watching me jump with eyes alighted excitedly. I frowned but that little wayward glance cost me; my right foot sank an inch too deep and the rhythm I'd built up stuttered and, long story short, I fell to my hands and knees into the sand.

As I sunk, I glanced pointedly at the General. He first took his time writing something on his clipboard, which meant I had to endure the sticky sand creeping up my pants legs and the weird vines slapping me in the face. When the General did reach over and flip the switch, the vines withered and retreated and the sand slipped from my body like water. I hurriedly climbed to my feet and got the hell away from that platform before anything else could happen.

I almost forgot, though, that there were more obstacles in front of me. The platform, now closed and innocent-looking, was the first in a line of activities. '

Just great.

The next thing looked relatively simple, but I gazed at it with ware. It seemed like a regular pull-up bar. The two poles connected at the top with a long one in the middle. However, there was also a platform at the base of this structure and that made me shiver a little; I almost didn't want to go through with this. For a training session, this seemed pretty extreme. I glanced at General Zair and saw him gazing at me expectantly with those hawkish black eyes.

"I trust you are familiar with this exercise?" He asked me.

I nodded then asked, "Are all the platforms filled with sand?"

"Oh, that wasn't sand." General Zair spoke with a flash of a smirk. "And to answer your question, no. That was the only one."

Okay, so that made me feel a bit better. I still stepped up onto the platform carefully, though. I stood under the black metal bar and clapped my sweaty hands together, then rubbed them on my pants and jumped a bit to latch onto the pole with both palms. I wrapped my fingers around the bar tightly and was glad that the metal was quite dry; a little rusty, but dry.

General Zair watched me almost as closely as I watched him while I pulled my body up and over the bar again and again. I was keeping my eye on him to see if he'd flip anymore switches. About two minutes passed, and he didn't flip a single one.

But he did push a button.

I stilled in my movements with my weight pushed totally onto my hands and my upper body above the bar. Below me, the platform was sliding to the side just as the other one had and something started whirring. I did not like the sound of that. Before I could get out any accusations, the General pushed yet another button and the two ends of the bar vibrated. I blinked and saw what appeared to be two cords of barbed wire protrude from the corners of the pole and then connect in a line above my head.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying not to sound frantic.

"You'll see." General Zair told me. "Keep your chin up."

I did, but I was trying not to freak out. The whirring noise below me turned out to be a set of rotating blades rising up from the platform. It looked like three giant metal saws, spinning and getting closer and closer to my feet. As if that weren't hellish enough, I kept getting poked in the head when I got too close to the barbed wire at the top. I really couldn't say chin-ups were this hard in grade school.

_Alright, let's see, _I thought, _I can't go too high to avoid the saws, and I can't get too low to avoid the wire, and stopping is absolutely out of the question, unless I could manage to do a sharp dive to the left...I might crash into the General, though that prospect is starting to look more and more appealing compared to this..._

The saws were attached to mechanical arms and that only meant they could reach; as the seconds progressed, they climbed higher. I could practically feel them tearing at the bottom of my trainers. I guess to off-set that, the barbed wire was getting higher as well; however, it required more effort on my part to pull myself higher and higher. My arms were getting tired but the sweat I'd broken out in was more out of panic than true exhaustion. Or maybe it was both, I didn't know at this point.

I'd been pulling myself up for what felt like eons before my biceps started quivering and my stomach started clenching. I couldn't stop, but my body was threatening to.

_Come on, _I compelled myself, _I gotta' keep going! Can't let this machine turn my legs into shredded beef!_

As if to implore him to grant me mercy I glanced at General Zair. He wasn't even looking at me, he was writing something down on his clipboard. I called out to him, I think I said 'hey', and he looked up. There was a spark of amusement in his features but it only lasted half a second before he turned to the panel of switches and mashed a couple of buttons.

In an instant the barbed wire receded back into the corners of the bar and the saws stopped rotating. They, too, lowered back into the platform where they came, and it was only after the lid slid shut that I allowed my grip on the rusty bar to lax and dropped to my feet. I climbed clumsily down from the platform and leaned on the rope partition between me and the General. He walked away from me and I let my head drop as I tried to catch my breath.

_This is crazy, _I frowned, _what kind of training is this? I see why all the soldiers look like they've got a stick up their behinds, it would totally take all the joy out of serving in the military if I had to do **this **all the_ time...

"Here."

I glanced up and saw the General handing me a metal canister. I raised up off the rope and let my arms drop to my sides.

"You got a switch for that thing, too?" I asked.

"No," General Zair smirked, "This is just water."

Reluctantly I took the canister from him and found it cool to the touch. I unscrewed the top and sniffed, then took a sip. It tasted fresh and clean, so I downed the rest of it in a few gulps.

"Thank you," I told him.

_Yeah, thanks for nearly costing me a couple body parts, _I added in my head. I stretched my tired arms out and walked ahead towards the next exercise. I could have just turned and walked away, but I was already here and I figured I might as well see this through.

_Though it looks like each exercise is worse than the last, _I noted with a grimace.

True to that sentiment, the giant rock wall looked a bit imposing. But, by previous logic, if things look easy they're hard so if this looks hard, it might be easy.

_Or it might be the death of me, _I doubted.

At any rate, I had to decide now if I was going to do this. I turned to the General and saw him watching me. I couldn't make out every word, but I saw his clipboard had my name on it several times. I wondered then what he thought of me.

_Then again, I'd rather not know._

I instead faced the rock wall and saw that it was color-coded. The first few feet had rocks inlaid in a black gradient, then the next few feet had reddish hues, and the next few feet had the same black color as the first few feet.

_Let's do this, _I encouraged myself.

I put the empty container down near my feet and was glad to see that there was no platform here, just the wall. After wiping my hands on my pants, I stepped up to the earthy-smelling obstacle and gripped a rock in each hand, then pulled my weight up and found my footing. Then I climbed.

_This is easy _

That was my clue right there that things were about to get bad. I was climbing and climbing without any hitches or problems, so clearly something had to go wrong. I glanced over my shoulder at the general and saw him watching me with bridled amusement. He had his previously-lit cigarette behind his left ear and his pencil in his fingers; he was holding his clipboard but his eyes were on me, watching me as I got higher and higher.

I reached the next level, the one with the reddish background, and almost immediately found trouble. The rock I grabbed for felt like it was covered in a layer of grease; again, this hangup threw off my rhythm and I started falling. I knocked my knee on the way down but I was able to grab onto some rocks on the lower, dryer level before I got to the ground again.

_Alright, _I thought, _let's try that again. _

This time, when I got to the slippery level, I anticipated the handicap and compensated for it by digging my nails into the stony surfaces as best I could. I felt myself slipping.

_Okay, that's not working, _I noted.

I steadied my feet on the glistening rocks and was glad for the small amount of traction my black trainers provided. When I had my footing secure, I hooked my arms over the greasy rocks and tried to hang on. My feet started to slip so I hurriedly kicked them flat against grainy backdrop and nearly worked my nails down to nothing in my haste to hold on to those rocks.

_This is **not**__working, _I frowned.

My only choice at this point would be to leap down because I had an idea, but I couldn't execute it from this level. I hopped to the ground and tore off my shirt. A glance at the general told me Zair was now highly intrigued. He was watching me as I gripped the shirt in my mouth and scaled the wall for the second time. I got to the slippery level and took my time getting my footing, then using my shirt as a grip as I moved from rock to rock.

_Success! _

I was moving now, but I still had my footing to worry about. That was nothing. Soon I was almost near the top. To my relief, the rocks on the level that had the black background weren't slippery at all. That meant I could take a moment to stop and put my shirt back on.

"What the-!"

Before I knew what had happened, my leg swept an empty hole from where the rock I'd been standing on had disappeared. I grimaced because in the confusion, I'd knocked my knee in the same place and it ached a little longer this time.

_So these disappear? _

I was shaking in anticipation as I climbed hesitantly, waiting for another rock to vanish. But to my abject horror, all but one of the rocks I was balancing on got sucked back into the wall. Luckily, the one that didn't was under my left hand, so all I had to do was quickly reach for a rock with my right.

_Wait a minute, _I noticed, _the rocks aren't just disappearing...they're rearranging! _

If there was anything I knew about machines of any sort, it was that there were always patterns with them. This machine wasn't any different. After a few seconds of watching it, I could see that there was but one pattern, and that was during one shift, the rocks would all suck out and move to the left, and then they'd move back to the right again, then they'd move to the right, and then back to the middle. I just had to take my time and I could get past this.

Only...

"You're kidding, right?" I called to General Zair, but I doubt he heard me over the sound of the flames.

They'd sprung out from the lower levels and were crackling and whooshing loudly. It looked like somebody had just lit a match under the first level, and that fire was spreading fast. I didn't have time to wait for the pattern, I had to haul ass and get over the wall before I got burned to a crisp.

_This is hellish, _I grimaced, _who in their right mind would declare this a fitness aptitude test? _

It wasn't fitness that was propelling me to scratch and scramble clumsily up the wall, it was nothing short of a strong sense of self-preservation and maybe adrenaline because I really didn't wanna' die today.

I felt the flames lick at my shoes not a second before I reached the top, and once there I didn't hang around; I flung myself over the edge and landed sloppily on the other side. It was a wonder I didn't twist my ankle or break one of my legs, because I was at least a couple stories high in the air.

_At least I didn't think once about my fear of heights, _I realized with no amount of true feeling. I was just glad to be on the ground again.

General Zair came over to me, writing on his clipboard, and I collected myself. He picked up my water canister and walked away, and I glanced over myself and took stock of my injuries. Other than my aching knee and ragged hands, they were minimal. I fixed my shirt and dusted my red hands on my pants. I could feel the soreness start to creep into my body now that the fight-or-flight rush was leaving my system.

"Very interesting," The General remarked when he handed me the cool metal canister.

I drank rapidly and was sorry to see the bottom of the container. I held it by my side and regarded the pale, tall general. He was writing again and still didn't come off as particularly mean-spirited, but that faint smirk had me thinking he had some kind of sadistic streak in him.

"Do you have something against me?" I asked him candidly.

He told me, "...Quite the opposite, actually."

_And what does that mean, _I wondered.

I held up the canister and asked, "Is there any more water?"

"A whole lot more," Zair spoke, bemused. "Come."

He started walking off and I followed him with my empty canister in hand over to the left of the obstacle course. He took me through a door, into a big room and towards a large space with a giant metal rectangle in the center. There was a wooden thing on the ground to the side of it that looked like a pushable switch. I saw General Zair go over and step on it, which made the metal rectangle on the floor start to recede like the platforms had.

_Awesome, more of this shit, _I thought.

I really wished I'd slept in this morning.

I watched the metal give way to an equally metal pool built into the ground. The material was dark and so it made the water look black in the dim-lit room. There were only four honeycomb light fixtures in here so it was kinda hard to see. I stepped over to the pool and grimaced.

General Zair half-asked, half-assumed, "You do know how to swim?"

"I'd be screwed if I didn't." I replied without thinking.

That made the General flash a brief smile.

He told me, "Ten laps, back and forth."

"Cool." I remarked in a sigh.

"You'll have to hurry," The General added. "The cover closes on its own."

_Of course it does. _

"So how long do I have?" I asked.

"It would be best to go as quickly as you can," was General Zair's answer.

I couldn't help but ask, "Who _designed _this thing?"

"The pool?"

"The whole underground place," I clarified.

"I did." General Zair spoke, in the same way a child would who had just put tacks under the teacher's chair and was proud of it.

I couldn't say that confession surprised me; he certainly seemed to be enjoying himself through all this.

_Glad he's getting his jollies out of my misfortune, _I thought wryly.

I saw that the cover was almost all the way backwards, so I figured I'd better get moving. I didn't want to know what happened if I ran out of time. I went over to the still-covered edge and took off my shoes, socks, and shirt, then sucked in a huge breath and jumped in.

Naturally the water temperature was glacial, because why the hell not.

It was alright because I wasn't trying to get cozy in this pool. I swam as fast as I could, back and forth, from one end of the rectangle to the other. I kept count but it was hard to concentrate because the longer I swam, the colder it felt like the water was getting.

_I wonder if there's a switch for that, _I frowned.

I was only on my eight lap of twenty when I heard a noise like car tires on gravel. Suddenly, things were getting darker so I glanced back and saw that the cover was closing, just like Zair said it would.

_How am I supposed to finish if it's moving so fast? _

I came to the realization that this was an impossible task. There was no way I'd finish before the cover closed. With that in mind, I abandoned my lap and started swimming towards the opposite end, where the light was. That light was growing thinner and thinner as the cover closed.

_Please tell me this isn't happening _

I felt my head knock up against the top of the cover and struggled to breathe. There was no gap between the cover and the water. I was already trapped in darkness, the dwindling opening was my only source of light.

_Come on, I am **not **dying in this frozen, watery grave! _

I forced my arms and legs to propel me forward and struggled like a crazy person towards the opening. It was thrashes, not strokes, I was using to jet me closer to the edge of the pool, the edge of freedom. I could feel my stomach and how hot it was against the frigid waters it was submerged in. That was panic and fear in my blood, pumping straight from my heart to the rest of my body parts and spurring them to keep moving even though I was getting weary. So close was I to losing or at least having the bones crushed in my two feet when I clambered out of the water and onto the dirty floor of the room. I immediately doubled over and coughed and shook from both nerves and the cold as the air stung at my chilled flesh.

_That was something I don't ever want to repeat... _

Back onto my elbows I leaned and just breathed, breathed in deeply and exhaled and breathed in again and then coughed for all my zeal. The air smelled a bit rank when I first got in this room but now it may as well have been as fresh as the air around the Alps. I crossed my legs and that was kind of hard to do when my pants were sopping wet but I managed. With my head bowed, I tried to get my heart to stop racing. The blood was still rushing in my ears and my head felt light, like I'd been on a merry-go-round. I saw two boots come into my line of vision and frowned.

"Here you are."

The General was handing me a towel from somewhere, I didn't know or care at this point. I took it from him and wiped my face and arms and chest, then wrapped it round my back and shoulders. I watched the General take the white cigarette from behind his ear and use his thumb and index finger to strike up a blue flame to light it. He took a drag, tucked it between his index and middle fingers, and started writing on his clipboard again.

"So would you still be willing to accept a position as commander?" He challenged.

_No._

"Yes."

_Damn my pride. _

General Zair finally put away his pencil and gazed at me eye to eye, his own black ones gleaming with unadulterated pleasure and excitement.

"Good," he said, "because I'm really starting to like you."

* * *

**A/N: I added to more this, as you can see. Hope you enjoyed. **

**Until next time!**

**~DymondGold~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. I'm back for now with the next chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Of each kingdom, there was a little bit inside Sarasaland's Princess. That included Chai and its orderliness; Daisy did have an anal-retentive side that liked things to be neat and in its place, hence the state of cleanliness that her personal office was in. It was a newly-refurbished room in the palace designed for her use, and she was getting in a lot of time there already. For a couple of hours since her meeting this morning she'd been holed up in there, going over the reports she'd gathered from the kingdom's officials earlier. She had the papers in respective stacks in front of her according to what they entailed and who they were from, and her mind was focused on gleaning the most important details from all the notes. But even with the papers to occupy her mind, Daisy still had trouble concentrating. Her mind kept going back to Luigi.

Daisy leaned back in her cushioned seat and dropped her pencil on the table, atop the paper she'd been scrawling on. She drummed her fingers on the arms of her chair and stared ahead unseeingly.

_I wonder if he's alright, _She thought.

Earlier the girl had run into General Zair and knew he would be training Luigi personally before her boyfriend would be awarded the position as commander; that worried her. She knew the old General wasn't hateful or malicious, not exactly. But she also knew Zair could be a bit...zealous when it came to fulfilling his duties and was often...creative when it came to testing people's physical limits.

_Luigi is tough, _Daisy thought resolutely, _he'll survive. I did, after all, and I was little more than a kid when I pulled that stunt. _

She'd pulled a lot of stunts as a little princess, but the one in mind was entering Zair's ranks as a male recruit. Daisy smirked at the memory again and leaned forward once more.

_Luigi will be fine, _she affirmed to herself, then started to finish up her work.

* * *

Someone was coming up the stairs.

He could hear the soft footfalls of someone making their way towards his room. So acute was his hearing these days. It only made sense that that particular sense had been augmented in light of the other senses being dulled; not taste or sight or touch, but his sixth sense of magical keenness. He couldn't detect magical signatures anymore, not that he'd be able to anyway, for the person approaching was masking theirs. Ludwig figured it was King Boo.

_Why does he even bother coming around? _

The young man-turned-child had previously been sleeping in the corner of the guest bedroom. He had his legs crosses and his head in his hands, slumped over facing the wall. As soon as he heard the noise from the stairs, he slowly raised his head and strained his ears. He had a crick in his neck and was aching all over, especially in the stomach, but that was due in large part to the book tossed about a foot away from him. The burgundy book lay open innocuously but Ludwig glanced at it with loathing. He recalled how weeks ago he'd taken to wandering the estate and discovered that some rooms were off limits to him. The library was one of them. At the time, that hadn't bothered Ludwig, but days wore on and he grew increasingly restless. He'd swallowed his pride and went skulking around once more through the estate, late at night, when he figured King Boo was busy. He figured there'd be a book lying around somewhere, and if he could get his hands on it, he could teach himself magic, even if it was just a rudimentary trick or two. His idle mind craved any sort of stimulation beyond glaring at his bedroom walls.

So Ludwig had found a book in the kitchen and had stolen away to his bedroom as fast as his prepubescent legs could carry him, only to realize his godfather had anticipated even this turn of events: King Boo had all the books in his estate charmed to make Ludwig burst into hysterical laughter if he opened them, just in case something like this ever happened. Ludwig hadn't gotten ten pages before he had to toss the book away. His ribs were still killing him.

_What an asinine waste of magic, _the young navy-haired child thought bitterly. He didn't find King Boo's innovative means of punishment amusing at all. He'd opted to take a nap after his unsuccessful attempt at reading and had only just woken up. Once more Ludwig glanced at the door because someone was turning the knob. Promptly Ludwig turned and faced the wall again.

_I don't even want to see his face, _the ex-enforcer sneered.

He folded his arms across his chest and heard the door open. Predictably, the voice of his former mentor rang through the previously silent room.

"Ludwig, you have visitors."

That wasn't what Ludwig was expecting to hear, but since his back was still turned, neither King Boo nor the individuals with him could see the navy-haired child's eyes narrow at the news. Ludwig didn't even move.

King Boo saw this and shook his head, then said. "I'll leave you alone, then."

Ludwig heard him retreat and heard the door close. He then heard more footsteps move over the carpet, light footsteps.

"...So it's true, then."

Ludwig stiffened at that voice.

"The rumors of the fallen king were right."

In a low drawl, Ludwig asked, "Have you come to gloat, Ignatius?"

"Frankly I don't care about the state you're in or how you've come to be this way." Iggy spoke coldly. "I already knew you'd come to some ruinous end."

Ludwig snorted quietly at that. "Don't credit yourself with omniscience; you're just impossibly cynical."

"Maybe." Iggy replied absently, then said. "But I didn't come here for you. I came for answers."

So brusque was his delivery that Ludwig felt compelled to turn around and stare at his younger brother. He was almost impressed with what he saw. Gone were the traces of awkwardness and uncertainty, what he saw in front of him was a young man who was confident of where he was going and determined not to be impeded. In place of gangly limbs and disproportionate features there was a slightly muscular, lean individual with astute eyes and alabaster skin. Iggy wore his white cloak and stood in front of his smallest brother Lemmy, who was silently regarding Ludwig with his own still-large eyes.

_So this is what Ignatius has become, _Ludwig thought to himself. _There was always an air of maturity about him, but now it's started to show._

"You've changed," Ludwig stated.

"More than you know," Iggy clipped. "I want to know about where I came from."

Ludwig asked, "You're still going on about that? Just leave it alone."

"Not. An option." Iggy replied stalwartly.

The navy-haired Koopa gazed at his brother and sighed. For a second, he looked beyond his own miserable situation and put himself in the place of where Iggy was. He'd personally been there, a long time ago.

He was only speaking from experience when he said, "Trust me, little brother, that is _not_ a road you want to go down."

"Just tell me what you know." Iggy demanded.

Under his cloak, his slender hands gripped the fabric of his pants. He was trying not to lose his patience or get upset, but he couldn't understand why his older brother was making this so difficult.

Ludwig rolled his eyes and asked, "Why is this so important to you?"

"It just is." Iggy answered insistently. "And if you have any shred of familial decency left within you, you'll tell me whatever you know."

He didn't have to raise his voice for Ludwig to perceive he was very serious about this, and wouldn't be dropping the matter any time soon. Ludwig stared vacantly at his brother for a long time and Iggy began to wonder if the other rumors, the ones about Ludwig having lost his mind, were also true.

In an even tone, Ludwig recited, "29, 74, 76. 75, 21, 56."

Iggy blinked, then frowned and asked, "What?"

"You know I don't like to repeat myself."

Iggy opened his mouth to further question his brother but Ludwig ended the conversation the moment he turned his face to the corner again. Iggy frowned at his brother's back and tried to recall the numbers once more. His memory had greatly improved in the time he'd first left his brother's palace. That was mostly because Iggy invested time and energy into strengthening and repairing and protecting it. He never wanted to feel as violated as he did when Ludwig 'obliviated' him.

_Why would he give me a bunch of numbers? _Iggy glanced once more at his brother in the corner and then shook his head. He knew he'd not be getting anymore information out of Ludwig.

"Come on," He spoke to Lemmy. "Let's go."

Lemmy had held his peace through the whole encounter, but now the seven-year-old refused to take Iggy's hand. Instead, Lemmy walked over to the corner where Ludwig sat and got down on his knees. He and his older brother were almost the same height. Lemmy wrapped his arms round the back of Ludwig's shoulders, hugged him tightly, and kissed his brother's cheek.

"Bye, Lu." He murmured while squeezing the navy-haired sorcerer.

Ludwig didn't say or do anything to return or reject his baby brother's embrace. Having done what he wanted, Lemmy stood again and walked over to Iggy. He now took Iggy's hand and the thirteen-year-old glanced at Ludwig, but didn't say a word.

The two left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. Iggy wore a look of consternation and was so absorbed in analyzing the significance of those numbers that he didn't see King Boo standing at the base of the staircase waiting to receive the two guests. Consequently, he plowed right into the immortal.

"Sorry," Iggy apologized, gaining his bearings.

King Boo held him by the shoulders to steady him and nodded understandingly. He searched the children's faces to gauge how the visit had gone and saw no traces of elation or joy, but also no traces of anger or grief. He didn't know what to make of that.

"Is something the matter?" The old immortal asked.

Iggy almost said, 'no', but then asked, "What do the numbers 29, 74, 76 and 75, 21, 56 mean?"

King Boo's brow furrowed, then something dawned on him. He sighed in a way Iggy just couldn't comprehend, in a way that belied his knowledge on the matter.

The King said, "Why don't you two come and take a meal with me? It's near noon."

"But what about the numbers?" Iggy persisted.

King Boo told him, "They're not just numbers. They're coordinates."

* * *

It was in the shower under the pelting hot water that the pain of this morning's training wore off to a dull ache. The blood and the dirt washed down the drain and so did the edginess of having nearly lost a few vital body parts. But with the absence of these things came the prevalent pangs in my stomach; I was famished. I was washing my hair when I felt my stomach do something painful and impatient in want of food. That spurred me to hurry up and rinse off and clean my face and get dressed. I brushed my teeth while climbing into a t-shirt and combed through my hair at the same time as I shoved my feet back into my trainers. I think I put something on backwards or inside out. Not that I cared, I just wanted to get something to eat.

Once I was as decent as I was gonna' get, I headed downstairs and tried to find the kitchen from memory. The palace was big and hunger was clouding my mind; it was a challenging task in light of this. I had to back-track a couple of times and a lot of the servants had to help me out, but eventually I found the kitchens and was promised a meal, so long as I waited in the dining room. I had no problem finding that because it was literally the next room over. Once there, I saw there was another person already seated.

"Yo."

When I spoke, Daisy lifted her head from a pile of papers to me. She looked pretty cute just sitting at the head of the table with her feet tucked under her and her body hunched over her work. There was a plate of food to the side of her and a glass of what looked like juice; both were half-empty.

"Good morning," Daisy greeted me with a genuine smile spreading over her face.

She climbed out of her seat and met me halfway as I came over to her. Her arms wrapped round my neck and I held her waist and kissed her forehead, then her still-smiling mouth. She had to get on her toes to reach and when she settled back down on her feet, her light eyes were alight.

"So how was it?" She asked me eagerly.

I quirked a brow and asked, "How was what?"

"Your training," Daisy clarified on her way back to her seat.

She held my hand and guided me to a chair at her left. I slouched into it and resisted laying my head down on the table; I was starting to feel tired. I kept my head up and rubbed at my eyes while Daisy adjusted herself in her seat.

"The training was alright." I told her. "Never mind the few times I almost died."

Daisy touched my arm and said, "Sorry about that; I should have warned you about the General."

"He's alright," I stated carefully, "I just didn't know he was so gung ho, is all."

_Man, I'm giving that dude a lot of credit, _I noted wryly. _I mean, I'm no head doctor, but h__e's a dead-ringer for the psycho-sadist personality type. _

"How was your day?" I then asked Daisy, "I mean, so far that is."

I wanted to get off the subject of training because just thinking about all that was making me ache again. Daisy glanced up from her work again and put down her pencil. Her hair was a bit tangled, as if it'd been braided and she'd let it come undone. It was beautiful.

"I had a meeting with all the governors of Chai Kingdom this morning." She told me.

"How was it?" I asked.

_Where's the food, _I also wanted to ask.

Daisy replied, "It was boring. There's five governors for the five provinces of Chai and they all had their own, long-winded report of the state of affairs in their region."

"Is something bad going on?" I frowned.

She shook her head and said, "No, everything's fine. That's just how the officials are here in Chai; long-winded and dull and...orderly. I'm just looking over the notes I took."

_Yeah, that does sound boring, _I thought.

"Well I'm glad you're okay," Daisy told me with a soft grin. "I knew you were strong enough to handle whatever General Zair threw at you."

_Barely, _I grimaced lightly.

Aloud I asked, "How long have you known him?"

"Since I was a kid." Daisy answered. "I was young when I found out Chai only took males in the army, so being the little rebel that I was, I dressed as a boy and joined the military to...stick it in the man?"

"Stick it _to _the man," I assisted.

Daisy nodded and smiled a bit shyly. She was always doing that back in Brooklyn, stumbling over unfamiliar sayings and lingo and phrases. I thought it was incredibly cute and helped her out whenever she needed it.

"And what happened after that?" I asked.

Finally the food was brought out; three or four plates of I-don't-care-so-long-as-it's-edible, a la mode. The breakfast smelled great and wasn't too hot so as to scald my mouth when I started shoveling it into my face, so that made it fine in my book. Daisy laughed when she saw how I was eating.

"Um, oh yeah." She spoke, "It turns out, all new recruits have to go through basic training; that meant I had to go through Zair."

"Did you make it?" I asked, bemused and afraid for her at the same time.

Daisy said, "Sort of. I lasted through training, and that went on for weeks. I passed every intense, almost-inhumane, vomit-inducing physical test he gave us, even if it was sometimes by the skin of my teeth."

I nodded, impressed.

She told me, "The only reason I didn't make the cut for the army was because I got found out. During one of the uh, exercises, I got hurt really bad. Usually I'd just suck it up because I knew if I'd go to the infirmary, my secret would be out; but there was just one time I couldn't help it. And that's when the doctors realized I was a girl, and the princess no less."

I smiled, because it reminded me of Mulan. And now that I thought of it, Chai was a lot like China in some ways.

"They told Zair and worst of all, my parents." Daisy smirked. "My mama was horrified. My papa tried so hard not to show how funny he thought the whole thing was. And Zair, well, I thought he was mad at me but I think I earned his respect. Either way, the army started accepting male and female recruits."

"...Wow." I murmured. "That's really amazing, Daisy. You're still the strongest and bravest person I know."

_Maybe even more so than Mario; or maybe they're on par with each other. _

Daisy just shrugged and said, "You call it brave, but I'm just _really_ stubborn."

And then she got a strange, pensive look on her pretty face for a moment. She shook her head and turned to her plate of half-eaten food when the moment passed. I didn't know what that was about, but I did know that each and every day I was learning something new about this girl, and it was only making me love her even more.

* * *

**A/N: Luigi really loves Daisy. **

**Yeah, I'm back after another long wait. Sorry bout that. You can chew me out in a review, or just tell me what you think about this chapter or what have you. **

**I only started writing again because I had a dream about Daisy and the Dark King, so you can actually thank old despicable Bowser for this update, haha. And speaking of that, if you know why Daisy had that little moment, it would make me smile :)**

**Until next time! **

**~DymondGold~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Let's all pretend that god-awful wait between chapters didn't happen...deal?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

There had to be a reason I was still doing this, I mean besides my pride. Daisy said she was stubborn but I think I had her beat; what with the fact that I was still consenting to this roulette-style training regimen of Zair's. Any one of the 'exercises' could do me in, and I swear each of them got progressively more terrifying than the last. Any sane person would have just quit while they were ahead-and in that sense I mean while they still had all their limbs-but not me. I was still walking down the hall, following the General towards the next activity. And for what? What was I getting out of this other than soreness and pain and a new appreciation for the human body?

_Once I start something, it's only right that I finish it, _I reasoned.

But then I had to snort softly because that was the stuff of motivational posters. It would only be right if I turned around and got the heck out of here.

I glanced behind me.

It was dark in the underground gym, which is what I decided to call the place I'd returned to for a few days on end now. Somehow, it seemed to be more palatable a name than _satan's playground, _my original moniker for it. In front of me, General Zair turned to the left so I followed. He was walking rather brusquely today, or maybe I had a problem keeping up because I was still worn out from what happened earlier: Zair asked me to climb what looked like some monkey bars. The only twist being there was a net of barbed, electric wire under my feet. Throw in the fact that the bars went on for nearly forever and it was no question why my arms and stomach were killing me.

_Not to mention all this stress can't be good for my kidneys, _I frowned.

I shook my head to myself, once again marveling at my decision to keep following Zair. The place was so dark now that I doubted I'd be able to find my way back out again even if I wanted to. Wherever we were going, it was towards the far reaches of the underground gym.

_But you could always ask him to take you back, _that voice in my head reminded me.

With another frown I stared at the General's back. He wore all black with his hair in that neat topknot. His boots thudded against the sooty ground as he walked. I was dressed in black, too, in some more of the training clothes he loaned me. Conversely, my black trainers hit the ground in slower steps than his rapid gait.

Finally he stopped and I had a moment to take a drink from the container of water in my hand. The metal canister had gotten slippery and warm in my hot and sweaty grasp, but it didn't do anything to the cool water inside. I couldn't drink while walking because my brain was still recovering from the minimal shocks I'd endured and wasn't functioning at full capacity just yet.

Zair reached into his pocket and took out a key and unlocked a door I couldn't see for lack of light. I heard him twist the knob in front of me and then he did something and there was light in the hall. I could now see a few more closed doors and a faint smile on the General's face.

Wonderful.

He stepped into the room and I did the same, then noticed it was a hall. Only this one was much shorter and had a metal door a few feet ahead of us. On the right wall, there was something I dreaded seeing: a bunch of levers and buttons and switches. I could have groaned but I didn't have enough energy for that. I had to conserve it for whatever fresh hell was coming my way.

In his right hand, Zair held his clipboard and had his pencil behind his ear. He gave me a more pronounced flicker of a smile and gestured for me to go past the metal door. I lifted a brow, with some effort in that even, and stood in place. He seemed to sigh a bit and reached past me to open that door himself. What I saw almost, _almost _made me leave.

It was just a hall, a narrow one albeit, with conclave lights lining the ceiling and bare metal walls and platforms along the floor. That's what had me worried. The simplicity of it belied its impending complexity. I saw beyond the hall, there was a sort of podium with a box on top of it; like a small treasure chest. I frowned at that, because there was probably something wicked with that, too. I turned and glanced at Zair expectantly.

He told me, "All you must do is retrieve that box."

_Yeah, right. _

"What's the catch?" I asked him.

For his part, he did try and hide his amusement this time. His eyes twinkled tellingly but his smirk was greatly repressed as he went over to the panel on the wall. He flipped a switch and I gazed at the hall, waiting to see what effect it would have.

The ground under the podium at the far end of the hall trembled, as if a giant had stomped on it. But then it was still again as if nothing had happened. I glanced at Zair and saw he wasn't finished.

He flipped another switch and I glanced up at the ceiling. There were lines in it, dividing it into squares of a few feet long. The square right before the section above the podium was moving, sliding to the side like the platforms did when I would 'exercise'. Suddenly, something heavy dropped down together with the sound of chains and 'clinking' metal. I saw blades, giant cleaving axe-heads that would terrify the most zealous of butchers, drop down and start to swing in the space in front of the podium. Lazily they moved at first, then, as if by mechanical design, they picked up speed until I could only see a blur of glinting silver.

_What the..._

"Is that...legal?" I dared ask.

The only answer I got from the General was a private sort of closed-mouth smile. Then he turned back to the panel and started flipping more switches, pressing buttons, and dragging levers up and down. All in all, he'd activated some kind of warped, comic-book-esque death trap. There was the podium area, which I would call the safe zone for now since nothing was going on in that space.

_Though I did see the ground shake, _I noted warily.

Then, there was the spot with the blades. I shuddered. Next there was an area where the walls gave way to long, pointed knives that jutted out at random from both sides. Then there was a section with sand on the ground and, last and nearest to the door I was at, there was a section with metal bars that made up the floor.

Once again, I turned towards Zair and said flatly, "This can't be legal."

_Or ethical. Or sane. But then again, I'm still standing here, so whose sanity should really be in question? _

Zair told me, "This is a test of your ability to remaind diligent under pressure."

"This is one hell of a way to test it," I immediately remarked.

_Couldn't he have given me some kind of written questionnaire? _

General Zair chuckled to himself softly and started writing on his clipboard. I stared at the hallway and then something else changed; I heard Zair move behind me and I saw a shower of thin-link chains drop down over the area nearest to me. That sound that resembled rain pouring down remained, which clued me in to the fact that it wasn't just the chains making that noise, it was actual water showering down.

_Why? _

I looked to Zair but he was backing away. Tacitly, he was asking me with that raised brow and that challenging glint in his black eyes if I still wanted to do this. Like a crazy person, I squared my shoulders and stepped towards the loud hall.

"Good luck." Zair bade me before shutting the door.

And then I tripped and broke my nose.

Or I would have, if I hadn't caught myself at the very last second. The chains were long enough to drag the barred floor and made the back of my head itch as they swayed a bit under the pressure of the falling water. I was soaked in an instant and had trouble standing on a floor that moved under my feet. Once I gained my balance, I parted the chains and glanced backwards at the metal door.

_Last chance to turn back, _I reminded myself.

No. I was sticking with this.

_But what if you die? What if you slip and break your neck? What if you get chopped up by those blades? _

That was seriously not helping, but thanks to those thoughts, I found myself heading to that door now. Not much of a surprise it was when I found it was locked.

_Of course it's locked. _

I wiped my face with wet hands and pushed my hair out of my eyes. Great. Now I was stuck.

_Your own fault, _that little voice pointed out.

And it was right then that I decided to tune that voice out or else I really would go crazy, because there was no way I could listen to its pessimism and make it through this hazardous hall at the same time. I shivered a bit near the door and took a deep breath. Then I rolled my shoulders and headed back to the area with the curtain of rain and chains.

Cautiously this time I parted the chains and stepped onto the slippery barred floor. I couldn't really see for the water and the chains but if I gripped a few in each hand, I could keep myself from slipping and falling on my face again. I did this and the method worked wonders, only I was quickly getting more chilled to the bone and I couldn't really tell how close I was to the next section. I fell into a rhythm of stepping forward with one foot, gripping a hand full of metal, taking another step, gripping more metal, stopping to wipe at my eyes, and stepping forward again. My palms got aggravated from grabbing onto the chains so tightly and my eyes stung from constantly blinking against the rain. I decided to shut them and just go forward on my instinct.

Blindly I reached forward time and time again, clumsily yanking the chains towards me and holding on with all my strength as my trainers skidded and slid on the wet metal bars of the floor. It was after an eternity, it seemed, that I felt something solid and grainy under my shoes.

Sand.

I peeled open my eyes and felt an ounce of relief upon seeing not chains but clear space in front of me, with sand under my left foot. I broke apart from the chains and sank to my knees in the sand, trying to get my muscles to unclench in my back and shoulders. Then I froze and peered around suspiciously, waiting for some kind of plant or something to pop out of the sand.

A few seconds passed without incident.

_Could it be that Zair's given me a bit of a break between obstacles, _I wondered uncertainly.

The knives were in front of me, snapping out like a tightly coiled spring from both walls. Maybe this sandy area was a place for me to catch my breath-

I scrambled backwards on my hands and feet like a crab, turned over, and clambered to my feet to get away from the evidence of how wrong I'd been. Out of nowhere, a plume of fire had crashed into the sand right where my foot was, spraying sand in my face and eyes and scaring the ever-loving shit out of me. I quickly retreated to the 'safety' of the chains and rainy area and shivered, trying to gain my balance and stop my heart from sprinting and pounding against my ribs.

_I have to get the hell out of here NOW. _

I only stayed under the watery shower long enough to rinse my eyes out and wipe the sand off my face, then I was running and tripping and falling over myself trying to get towards the door. It was still locked, as I knew, but I banged on it hard. I didn't care that my red palms were screaming at me in protest as I clenched them into fists and pummeled away at the unyielding door. I just had to get out.

_You knew what this was when you saw the blades, _that voice reminded me.

That was true, I could admit, but I'd underestimated a certain military official's innane madness. Again I pounded at the door and called for Zair but as minutes wore on with me shivering and dripping there, I realized he wasn't going to answer me. Or open the door. He was probably laughing his ass off at my expense. He was probably expecting me to fail this hard, to make a fool of myself. No wonder he was smiling so much.

I frowned tightly and stepped away from the door. If any of that was true or not, it didn't matter. I was getting less afraid and more pissed off. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me wuss out if this really was a setup for his own amusement. I would get through this and I wouldn't die trying, either.

With that in mind, I moved from the door and turned towards the hall again.

Needless to say, the second time around, I navigated through the chains much more quickly, but when I broke through to the sandy area, I hesitated. Not for fear, but to gain my bearings. I had half a mind to sprint across the area, but if I did that I'd either get smited with fire or run headlong into the area with the knives jutting out and become a human shish-kabob.

_Not today, thank you. _

My body was wracked with a violent shiver that made me shake and tighten my grip on the chains that was holding me in place more than my stance on the slippery floor. I watched as the fireballs slammed down again and again. They were coming from the walls, not the ceiling. The lights were still in place on the ceiling, but the walls were opened and I saw four cannons on each side that catapulted fire out in turn. It only took me a couple minutes to recognize the pattern, and once I did, I hesitantly stepped forward.

_If I'm right, the next fireball should hit the far right side of the sand. And if I'm wrong...well, I'm toast. Literally. _

I sucked in a breath and waited.

_PSSSHH! _

The sand sort of hissed as the fire crashed down in it, in exactly the spot I'd predicted it would. I needed no further prompting to hurry towards the far right, since I knew the next strike would dash the center of the sand, near the left where I was standing. Now I had a roughly fifteen seconds to predict the motion of the blades before I would have to dash to the far left again.

_Sure does keep a person on their toes, _I thought, because clearly my brain figured this was the perfect time to be cracking jokes.

I ran a shaking hand over my face and felt the steam from the last fiery impact waft over towards my back. It did well to warm me up from my stint in the chains and downpour as I concentrated on finding a pattern with the jutting blades.

Once again, it didn't take me long.

No sooner did I sprint forward as the long knives were receding did a fireball slam devastatingly close to the back of my heels. It only propelled me to run even faster down the hall. The sharp knives were done receding, and in exactly eight seconds, they would spring back out again.

_Damn, I sorely misjudged the distance, _I thought in dismay, but I couldn't turn around now, not when I was out so far and not to mention I might run right into a fireball. I had no choice but to keep running and hope I made it across in time.

_Seven, six, _I counted to myself, willing my feet to move faster.

_Five, four, _I was almost there. Sort of.

_Three _

I was gonna make it

_Two _

I forgot about the swinging blades!

_One _

"Ahh!"

I hissed when the knives snapped forward and clipped the side of my shoulder, knocking me off balance and making me eat dirt. I was about to get up but that fall was a thing of mercy because, with my head lowered, I felt the air stir up my hair as one of the giant blades whooshed past me. I didn't think I could even move at this point because that chilling breeze froze me to the core and drained whatever life was in my body for the moment. I swear I thought I was...just knew I was...

_This must be what it's like when people say they feel someone walking on their grave, _I thought in regards to the haunted, disconcerted sensation that was tremoring through my entire body.

I stayed on the ground, flat with my arms by my sides, too afraid to move as the blades kept swing langorously over top of me. I didn't know what to do at this point. I couldn't get up without getting my head or something else chopped off. I could crawl my way through because the blades were swinging way too low. I briefly thought about just staying in this spot, hoping the General would eventually get the message that I was stuck.

_Seeking mercy from Zair? _

Even though I'd only known him for a couple of weeks, I knew better than to do that. I'd end up dying here if that was the case. Starvation or muscular atrophy or a combination of those things and worse would take their toll on my fear-ridden body.

_I've got to move. _

That was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was necessary. I couldn't stay here forever. So, before I could even think about it for too long lest I lose my nerve, I resolved to flip myself over on the count of three. I had to be able to see what was going on. There was a pattern to all these machines, it was all a matter of studying them closely and long enough.

_Alright, let's do this. _

"One." I murmured, only now hearing how afraid I was now that it came out in my voice.

I tightened my hands into fists at my sides and felt another whoosh go by.

_This is insane! _

"Two."

My breathing hitched and made that last word come out in a more hoarse echo. I clenched my fists and tensed my body, preparing to move.

Before I could open my mouth, I felt a sharp stab of pain from my shoulder as I forced myself to roll to the left. The same sort of pain blossomed along the side of my hip as the giant blade sliced it as I was turning. I was so sure that as I flopped down onto back that my innards were gonna come spilling out, but as I lay there, dazed and light-headed and still very much alive, I realized that the blade really only grazed my body. The fact that I was still breathing and not leaking bodily fluids emboldened me to reach down and touch the cut gingerly; yeah, it was an artificial cut that extended from the small of my back to the left of my navel. It stung when I touched it, but it wasn't deep at all. I had to assume that either the same was the case for the wound on my shoulder or maybe adrenaline was numbing the brunt of the pain.

_I did it, though, _I realized. _I'm alive! _

A brief smile flitted across my face before I also realized that I was still bleeding, soaking wet, and lying on my back with enormous axe-heads above me. That happiness flew away faster than a bat out of hell. I grimaced.

_Better start looking for that pattern, _I thought so as not to let the panic start seeping into my mind to cloud my thinking.

I could have kicked myself when I saw it. The ropes. They were a trick of my eyes, I thought at first, but the longer I stared, the easier I could confirm that they weren't a product of blurred or doubled vision. For each swinging rope, there were long, bare ropes hanging docilely in between. Three I could count so far. I had a theory, then, that if those ropes were there, they must be for me to climb on.

_Or they could be there just because. You know. Zair could be playing with your mind. _

True, very true, but since the alternative to trying out that theory was laying here, and since this was Zair and he could very well pull some switch and have the blades start inching lower to the ground, I decided to test out this theory.

_This could get me killed. _

I knew that, but I was still standing anyway. Or at least trying to get up the nerve to. I would have to do it quick, I would have to leap up and grab that rope if I didn't want to get side-swiped. I took in breath after shaky breath before I decided to do it.

_SUCCESS! _

I never thought it would feel so good to spring up a rope like some kind of tree monkey, but once I had the thick, braided material in my grip I launched myself up it and clung on with all I had. I even shut my eyes becuase if I was gonna die I didn't want to see that enormous axe coming at me.

But I wasn't dead.

I felt that swooping swoosh as the blade passed right behind me, then felt it again as another passed in front of me.

_I can't believe that worked! _

I didn't know whether to be elated or afraid again because now that I thought of it, I was never too good at climbing ropes. I had middle school trauma to thank for that. But then another thought occurred to me.

_I don't have to climb the ropes..._

No, there was enough space for me to...walk right through? In theory, there was, but I would have to yet again test this out.

_Oh well. I've come this far. _

I waited until the blade behind me had passed before hurriedly sliding down the ropes with my abused palms and shook like a reed in the wind as the next blade swung towards me. Again, I shut my eyes, cursing my decision to come down from the safety of the rope.

It passed me by.

I stood, stunned, as both blades swung side to side again, never even touching me. After I got over the fact that my theory had worked, it was no hard task navigating through the blades. All I had to do was wait for the two of them to pass, step near the next rope, and repeat the process. I did this twice before I could see the podium area get closer and closer.

_Almost there! _

I couldn't help but get excited. This was almost over! I now knew that I wouldn't ever set foot in this room again for no reason, no matter the circumstances.

_Commander? Who wants to be a leader, anyway? Life is too precious. _

The podium was in sight, only a few more seconds and I could-

The moment I launched myself towards the 'safe' zone, away from the blades, I felt the ground tremble and fall away. I might have cried out as I plummeted into darkness below, but that cry was stifled when something hard and heavy fell onto my stomach.

_I think my back is broken, _I frowned, noticing the spikes of pain erupting from my lower spine. But at the sound of a growl I bolted upright. I glanced upwards as the platform that I'd fallen through began to close until I was bathed in darkness.

_At least I have the box, _I thought, but another growl tore through my line of thinking and made a shudder wrack my frame.

"What the hell _is _that?" I murmured to myself because it wasn't like I could see.

I frowned and stood slowly, still wet and with sand and soot clinging to my skin and clothes. I gripped the box tightly to myself and heard several more growls bounce off the walls. They echoed, so either I was in a spacious area or there were several unknown beasts.

_Or both, _I thought and felt my stomach drop.

Just when I thought Zair really did have it out for me, I saw a sliver of light coming from the far end of the room. The far, far, _far _end of the room. It looked just like...

_A door! _

Without further persuasion, I bolted towards the light. The growls picked up at once and kept growing until the sound was like a deafening roar in my ears. I could feel something thudding the ground behind me, could feel hot breath sticking to the back of my neck. Still I ran and nearly crashed into the door were it not opened for me at the last minute. I came barreling into General Zair and was surprised at how solid he was: while I fell hard onto the dirt floor of the hall, he just stumbled backwards a little.

I sat there on the ground, thoroughly exhausted, heart pounding and blood pumping with vigor, still cold and wet and shivering so hard that my muscles felt like they were gonna give out from tensing them so much. My breath came in short pants and my eyes were blurry and teared up as they adjusted to the light. Once they did, I saw the General handing me some water and I took it, but stopped before I drank because he looked extremely pleased with himself, and there was just something unnerving about that broad grin.

_Whatever, _I brushed that off. My thirst greatly outweighed whatever other desire I had and I drank until the metal canister was empty. Even then, I was still craving more, despite the fact that I was drenched in water still. But now that I wasn't parched, I realized how famished I was. And how my shoulder, or the cut carved into it, was killing me, not to mention that scrape on my side was starting to make its presence known with a sudden blooming wave of pain. I felt like I'd been stampeded and I knew I looked it, too, which only made the General's grin even more out of place.

_I think it's now safe to say he's perfectly certifiable. _

As my breathing slowed, I winced and sat up, then leaned on the nearest wall to try and stand. The General held out a hand for me and I just stared at it cautiously for a moment before taking it and letting him help me to my feet. Near them was that heavy little chest. I knew I dropped it went I came plowing into the General. Which reminded me...

"What kind of animals were those?" I asked.

General Zair told me, "There were no animals."

"What?"

"There were no-"

"There had to be," I interrupted, then gestured to the creepy dark room. "I _felt _them breathing down my back, I heard them; there had to be at least...I don't know, like ten of them?"

General Zair tilted his head and smirked and told me, "There were no animals. Come."

And against my better judgement, I followed him warily back through the door I'd just run out of and watched him shoot fire from his fingertips into a huge light fixture in the center of the ceiling. The room was illuminated. It was just as I'd thought; spacious, creepy, but...empty.

There really weren't any animals.

There wasn't even any cages or holes in the walls where an animal of any size could fit into. It was just four large, bare walls and a packed-earth floor.

"But how did..." I trail, because I had no idea how to finish that sentence.

Zair just stood there and smiled in a way that I interpreted to be highly patronizing, which only irked me. I knew what I heard, what I felt. I wasn't crazy. _He _was the crazy one!

_Says the person who participated in all this _

"Shut up." I muttered, then felt my eye twitch.

I did **not **just talk to myself.

_I have definitely got to get away from this General...his crazy is spreading _

Back out into the hall I hurried with General Zair on my heels. I didn't care if I had to navigate through this maze of an underground gym for hours, I was leaving right now.

"Wait," The General called behind me. "Don't you want to know what's in this box?"

_Just walk away, _I coaxed myself, _Just keep going. _

But it was no use. My curiosity was more than whetted.

_Besides, _I rationalized, _I nearly died trying to get that thing. It's only right that I get to see what's inside. _

General Zair's grin broadened as I turned around and in that moment, with the dim light casting shadows on his grey-skinned face and that giant smile and those twinkling black eyes, he reminded me so much of King Boo. And that wasn't a compliment. It was creepily uncanny.

I glanced from Zair to the box and watched him take another key from his pocket and unlock it. He flipped back the ornately decorated lid that was emblazoned with gems and revealed another, smaller box.

_How original, _I thought, rolling my eyes when he gave me a brief little smile.

He removed the second box. It was plain white wood, with a smooth golden clasp holding it closed. Once he snapped it open, I saw something small and white-

_No_

-inlaid in a bed of red, velvety cushion-

_I did not just risk my life for a _

-General Zair plucked the slim white thing from its rich bed and flicked his finger, effectively lighting a flame at its end and then he proceeded to take the longest, most satisfied drag anyone has probably ever taken in the history of smoking.

_I nearly died for a damn cigarette._

* * *

**A/N: Well luckily this chapter wrote itself. I know it's redundant, but I do apologize for the wait. You've just gotta bear with me because I'm doing the best I can. That's all I'll say on that. **

**There will be more to come, not gonna give a date because I'm bad at living up to promises when it comes to writing, as you've noticed. We'll see what Daisy's up to and check back in with plenty of other characters. **

**Whoever's still reading this, I appreciate you! Thanks for the reviews and the continuous support, and most of all your patience. Stay tuned because there's more to come! **

**Until next time...**

**~DymondGold~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

It turns out I was wrong and the injuries I'd gotten this morning were worse than I thought; I don't think I'll ever forget the poor doctor's look of abject horror, however brief it was, when she peeled off my shirt in her office today. I guess my adrenaline was masking a lot of the pain because as soon as the skilled healer started treating the cut on my side, I had to grit my teeth and from then on the stinging and aching never stopped. Not even when the doctor finished dressing both wounds and had fresh white bandages on them. She'd tried to give me back my shirt but it was pretty much ruined so I declined and was about to leave when the doctor asked me, kind of hesitantly, how I'd gotten those injuries. All I'd said was 'General Zair' before she held up a hand and told me that explained it. That only made me wonder how many others the psycho-sadist had subjected his training regiment on.

Down the halls I was walking now, still wincing every now and again from the smarting wounds. I did pass a few people, and their stares or strange looks kept reminding me of my shirtless state. I even saw the woman from the Council, the one with the gold eyes and stiff attitude. She saw me and had to do a double take and the look she gave me was somewhat stern, yet she looked as if something were just now dawning on her. I didn't think much of it because I was tired and felt like the walking dead. I wanted a hot shower and some food to shovel into my face as soon as possible, then I just wanted to sleep for about a thousand years.

Soon I came to the room Daisy and I shared and I nearly ran into my other half. She stood in the doorway, presumably about to leave. There was a case of luggage being gripped in each of her hands and she looked sort of anxious. When she saw it was me she'd encountered, her face lit up in a huge smile. Then she frowned.

"Luigi," She spoke softly, "What...happened?"

In her pause, a look of concern and appreciation crossed her face as she looked me up and down. I shrugged but even that was a bad move what with the cut on my shoulder. I grimaced when I felt the biting stab of pain and Daisy dropped her suitcases and touched my arm.

"It's not so bad," I told her, "Just some scrapes I got this morning from training."

I just didn't want to worry her, and that outweighed my desire to out the General for the true lunatic he was. He had to be one, but then again, that would mean exposing myself because I was just as crazy for going along with his designs. Daisy seemed to understand my words and what they entailed, just like the doctor, because a look of understanding passed over her sweet face and she gazed at me with a bit more concern.

"Are you alright?" She asked me, then said, "You know you don't have to keep training with him. We could find someone else if it's too much or-"

"No, I'm alright."

_Damn my pride, _I thought, but I didn't want her to think I wasn't strong enough, or that I had to be accommodated. Daisy seemed to think otherwise by her skeptical glance at my shoulder, but she didn't say anymore on the matter. She just shook her head and reached for her bags again. Without thinking, I grabbed them for her and she glanced at me with worry.

Every nerve ending in my upper body screamed at me for this error, but I held onto the cases anyway.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Daisy asked me. "I could get them, you know."

"I know," I told her quickly, "I got it."

I had to speak fast so that she wouldn't hear the strain in my voice. It hurt, but not tremendously so. Or so I convinced myself as Daisy stepped past me out of the room. She had to be wearing some kind of perfume because she smelled like ice cream, like vanilla. I thought it would just make me hungrier, but it didn't really bother me. I was just glad to be around her.

Daisy ran a slim hand through her long, dark hair and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked down the hall. I followed her and ignored the shoots of pain that came with every step. Instead I focused on her, on the girl I had seen less and less of since we got to her home country. She was wearing a plain navy dress but nothing was really plain on her. The fabric looked satiny and followed her curvy body loosely. It ended right before her knees and gave way to sheer stockings and shoes that had a small heel and looked like they were made of felt. I watched Daisy rub her arms and wanted so badly to hug her right then.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked her.

The morning was still just getting started and it was quiet in the palace. Not that it was ever really loud. Daisy's sigh stuck out all the more in the empty hall.

"Yes." She answered. "I have to go to each of the other kingdoms and handle some business there."

"What kind of business?" I asked.

Daisy shrugged and said, "Talk to the people, hire and fire some officials, set up coalitions..."

The girl was tired, I could hear it in her voice. Not to mention she was walking slowly, or maybe that was for my benefit.

She was leading, so it was at the front entrance of the palace that we stopped. She nodded at me and I set the cases down near the huge doors and then wasted no time in pulling her close to me. It did sting sharply when she put her arms round my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist but I forced that out of mind and focused on the warmth and softness of her body and how good it felt to hold her.

"How long will you be gone?" I murmured.

She pulled back a bit and told me, "Probably a couple weeks or a little more."

I glanced to the side so that she wouldn't mistake whatever manifestation of disappointment and frustration on my face for anger at her. I just got to see her, and now she was leaving again. I knew she was Princess and that duty would call, but I hadn't banked it would have her on speed dial.

"Luigi," I heard her say.

Her hands were on either side of my face, guiding my attention back towards her own. I could see she was sorry, it was in those beautiful light eyes. I could tell she didn't want to go any more than I wanted her to leave, but I could also see she resigned herself to this as just another of her royal obligations. I leaned down and kissed her forehead but she tilted herself up on her toes and pushed her mouth against mine and then I almost forgot how tired and hungry and aggravated I was.

"I'm sorry." Daisy whispered. "I'll work fast."

"No, take your time," I automatically told her. "I wouldn't want anything bad to happen because you were rushing to come back."

Daisy smiled and told me, "Luigi I swear..."

Then she leaned back down onto the flat of her feet and picked up her bags. Outside, there was a group of attendants standing near the royal guard. Daisy kissed my cheek as she passed by me and I watched her leave for who knows how long.

* * *

The cock was crowing; it was time to get up.

That was the cue for one seventeen-year-old to roll off the straw pallet he called a bed and stand and stretch. He had to get his body ready for a new day. His bare feet were used to the packed-earth floor beneath them by now, having been exposed to it every morning for weeks. He padded over to the wall opposite his pallet and bent down to retrieve the pair of coarse socks buried inside one of his boots. Once he had them on, he shoved his feet into his heavy-duty work shoes and laced them up over his plain black pants; the fabric of which being only a couple steps up from burlap. The teenager scratched idly at his arm, grazing a couple cuts that were beginning to scab over. The minor sting didn't bother him a bit. He just turned glanced up from the floor to the shelf situated against the wall in front of him. It was almost as tall as him and just as wide and held a few books, a couple knives, and a ton of little wooden figures he'd whittled himself. Some of them were crude, some were fine; they differed according to when he'd made them, as he'd had to teach himself to carve. He still had the old scars on his fingers as proof of his progress. He now used those finger to scratch his thick black hair on his way to the door of his little room. The young man lifted the bar holding the door closed and pushed at the old wood until he had to blink in the light of the early morning. He was bare from the waist up, so the growing heat didn't bother him at all.

He made his way around the back of his humble little dwelling where there was a specific place to relieve himself. He shut the door of the outhouse behind him and stared up at the little crack in the ceiling until he was finished. That way he wouldn't have to focus on the smell or the many little bugs and insects joining him.

Once he was done with that, the young man headed back into his room, little more than a wooden shack, and closed and barred the door behind him. He went over to the area to the right of the door where a stone basin stood under a naked spigot. He turned the knob and cold water gushed out, allowing him to wash his face and brush his teeth with his sparse toiletry supplies. With his fingers he combed through his hair and noted absently that it was a lot more unruly now that some weeks had passed. He couldn't tell that here, where there was no mirror, but he often went into town and saw his reflection in shop windows. There was a makeshift razor balanced on the lip of the basin. He wouldn't need to use it today because the prickly hairs on his face had already been dealt with. Idly the seventeen-year-old rubbed his palm over his mouth and jaw and chin; the area wasn't smooth as silk, but he'd done an adequate job.

He moved over to the crate near his pallet and rummaged through the few garments he owned in order to find a decent shirt. Over his head he pulled it and then went over to his shelf and pulled a piece of paper from between two books. Only then did he go outside and start his daily routine.

It was a farm he lived on, so his main duties consisted of either dealing with the animals or the crops or both. He looked down at his list and saw that he'd first have to go to the barn and feed all the animals and then clean up after them. He made a face but it didn't stop him as he trudged over to the big brown building. As usual, when he stepped past the giant doors, he was greeted by a slew of 'moos' and squeals and snorts. This job was a frequent and unpleasant one, but the young man didn't mind. He'd made the choice not to gripe and complain about his situation early on. His time at the palace was something of a nightmare. He was always being stifled with the presence of his overbearing Koopa guards. Not only that, but nobody liked him. He even dared say the people around him despised him for some reason.

_Probably something about how my older brother basically stole their kingdom from them, _the young man mused.

He couldn't stand it there, couldn't stand the dirty looks and the veiled insults and the constant, smothering atmosphere of resentment, so he left. It wasn't as if he knew the first thing about ruling, anyway. Plus his retainers, the ones who were supposed to be teaching him about the culture of the land and about what would be expected of him, those retainers ditched him.

_I don't even think they stuck around a solid week, _the teenager recalled.

They were probably afraid since it was no secret that the foreign young man was an enemy and anyone who aided him were counted among the ill-received. They were probably sent death threats. No less than what the young man, himself, received. He shuddered, still confounded at how much the people around here hated him when they hardly even knew him. That was why it was so hard to get around once he left the palace. Everyone knew him for his scar, the star-shaped mark around his eye, and even when he put up his henge to disguise himself, he still stood out. Broad shoulders, staggering height rivaled only by his two older brothers, and a sort of gruff, albeit reserved personality didn't exactly fit in around town. But it so happened that an elderly couple had mercy on him and decided to let him live in an old shed on their land, granting him free lodging and food so long as he agreed to do their grunt work around the farm. He'd cut the grass and plowed and tilled the land and fixed the couple's broken porch step and re-painted the barn and repaired the leaking sink in their kitchen and cared for the animals and did all the things they couldn't do in their advanced age. It was a small price to pay in the young man's mind, for the couple gave him total privacy and they trusted him enough to where they didn't hang over his shoulder as he worked or popped into the little shack to see what he was doing; something he couldn't say for the people at the palace.

The young man finished with the animals and headed over to the coop, because next on his list was gathering all the eggs from the chickens and putting them into a basket. He didn't mind the work because it wasn't monotonous or boring to him; animals were unpredictable and he found farm work was challenging in a way that allowed him to stimulate his mind and body while staying engaged. He would never wish to recount all the endless hours he'd spent utterly bored out of his mind while at the palace.

After he'd gotten the eggs, the young man went to the porch and picked up the glass bottles of milk that were sitting in a woven basket that resembled the one he'd put all the eggs in. He saw on his list that he was to take the eggs and milk and exchange them for some fruits and vegetables from a merchant in town. Apparently, the elderly couple had an arrangement with the merchant that allowed for the coinless barter. The teenager knew he would have to take the wheelbarrow from around the house to carry the fruits and vegetables back. He went to get it and was surprised to find that there was a little sack of money resting in the wheelbarrow.

_For all your help, _the note that was attached to the sack read.

The young man blinked at the gestured. He was so sure that everyone hated him here. Even the old couple, generous as they'd been, had to be merely tolerating him because they needed the help, or so he thought. Evidently that wasn't the case. The teenager pocketed the weighty little sack and put the eggs and milk into the wheelbarrow, then made his way into town.

It was a lengthy walk, which was why the young man was grateful it wasn't often that the couple asked him to go. Glancing at the list once he made it to town, he saw that the old man would need his medicine picked up from the apothecary. That was the last thing on his agenda, so the young man figured he would buy himself something good to eat. He didn't really care for jewelry like his older brother or toys like his little brothers, but he did enjoy a good meal.

The vegetable merchant was used to him, this having been his third or fourth time making the exchange, so when he went to trade the milk and eggs, the man greeted him with a faint smile. He didn't speak to the man except to thank him, but the merchant was used to the taciturn teenager. From there, the young man began to walk towards the apothecary. Along the way, he heard some kind of confusion.

"Where'd you put the money, you little thief?"

"Put me down!"

Instantly the young man's ears perked at the sound of those voices. The first one he knew to belong to a particularly ornery old baker, and the second, well; he couldn't put his finger on it because it sounded a little off. The teenager got closer and saw that the lean, grumpy baker was holding a child upside down and was shaking them. The child was a little boy, about twelve or so, with black wavy hair and flying fists.

"Stop it, you slimy, fat-headed jerk!" The boy protested.

That was all it took for something to click in the young man's mind. Leaving his wheelbarrow of goods behind he hurried over to the baker.

"Stop!" The teenager barked, "Let him go!"

The baker turned his angry eyes onto the young man and frowned, still holding the kicking and squirming boy. Once the boy saw the young man, his eyes grew wide as saucers and a bright grin lit up his face. The young man didn't see it because he was busy reaching in his pocket and digging into his sack of money. He shoved a handful of gold coins at the baker.

"Here," He said, "Now can you let him go? He's with me."

The baker seemed begrudgingly appeased as he took the money. He let the boy fall to the ground and turned to head back into his shop.

Behind him he called, "Make sure that runt keeps his hands to himself next time!"

The young man rolled his eyes and gazed down, almost in disbelief, at the child who'd stood now and was dusting himself off. Once they locked eyes again, the little one grinned and ran forward until he crashed into the teenager's middle.

"MJ!" He shouted, "I was looking everywhere for you!"

MJ glanced down at his brother uncomfortably, but he brought himself to pat his younger brother's head fondly. He _had _missed him, after all. He watched the boy gaze up at him with those big eyes and saw a mischievous grin split his face.

"Look, here's your money back," He told his big brother.

He bent down and took off one of his boots, then shook it until a shower of gold coins came raining out. MJ was both impressed and reproachful. If he hadn't already given the baker his own money, he'd have made his brother give it back.

"What are you doing here, Larry?" MJ asked, then blinked because he remembered something.

He quickly pulled his brother through the crowd and hoped the goods he'd gotten hadn't been stolen in the time he'd been away. Luckily, the wheelbarrow was still full of fruits and veggies when they got to it. MJ sagged a bit in relief and then regarded his brother expectantly.

"Well?" He asked.

Larry's cloak, black and heavy, was disheveled from his encounter with the baker, as was the black hair he donned in his henge form. He shed his cloak and tossed it in the wheelbarrow, giving light to the sky blue silk shirt and pants he wore underneath. He gazed up at MJ eagerly.

"I told you," He said, "I was looking for you!"

"Why?" MJ frowned.

"I dunno." Larry shrugged his shoulders. "My retainer dropped me off here and told me to come find you."

MJ's frown deepened.

Larry then asked bluntly, "Is Ludwig dead?"

"What?" MJ blinked, caught off guard.

Larry's countenance was serious when he relayed, "Some people in the place I was at kept saying that Ludwig was gone, that he was dead. That's not...true, is it?"

MJ didn't know for certain, but he did know that he didn't like the fear that was playing on his little brother's face. He shook his head in answer.

"Of course he's not, don't be stupid."

Larry didn't bother getting offended, for he was much too grateful for the assurance his big brother's reply gave him. He walked beside MJ as the young man headed to the apothecary. He was deep in thought.

_I wonder what's happened to Ludwig...I don't think he's dead, but I haven't heard from him since I got here, _the teenager mused. _I haven't really heard from anyone, except for Roy, but that was ages ago. _

True, MJ had received a letter from his older brother. It was a short letter, and in it was the request that the two of them meet up. But not long after receiving the letter MJ decided to leave the palace so there was that. He hadn't understood why Ludwig had split them all up, but figured he had his reasons. He also figured Ludwig would be in to check on him because that's what he was prone to do when they were all in the bunker.

_Maybe Ludwig did come and check on me but I wasn't at the palace, so I missed him, _MJ wondered, then refuted that. He didn't know how, but his brother had some uncanny ability of keeping tabs on them no matter where they were. MJ was yanked from his thoughts when he felt someone tugging on his arm. He glanced down at Larry.

"When is Ludwig coming back?" Larry wanted to know.

MJ could only shrug and say, "How should I know; I'm not him. I'm not in his head, I don't know his plans or what he's thinking or when he's coming back or where he is or-"

"Okay, I get it!" Larry cried, covering his ears.

MJ winced a little. He knew he'd earned the nickname 'big mouth' for a reason, and that was because he never knew when to stop. He couldn't help it. Sometimes he rambled when he was nervous, and not knowing where Ludwig is, not knowing if something really had happened to him, that made MJ nervous.

He stopped at the apothecary's shop and turned to Larry.

"Be still," He ordered, "I'll only be a sec. Don't get into any more trouble."

"Yeah, yeah." Larry replied, moving the items in the wheelbarrow around so that he could sit down.

MJ just shook his head, still baffled at the sight of his little brother here, and went into the shop. He was quick about picking up the medicine and was back out as soon as he said he would be. Larry was still sitting in the cart, munching on a green apple. MJ opened his mouth to rebuke him, but then shut it and shook his head.

_At least he won't ask me a thousand questions if he's busy eating, _MJ reasoned.

But Larry could multi-task and started in on his brother as soon as MJ began pushing the wheelbarrow towards the farm.

"Where are we going?" He first asked.

MJ said, "You'll see when we get there."

"What are we gonna' do now?" Larry then wondered.

With a sigh MJ said, "I don't know."

_I would say look for Ludwig, but I have no clue where he could be right now. He was so secretive, _MJ thought.

Over the rolling hills and plain dirt trails MJ walked with Larry in tow. It wasn't quiet for long. Larry had finished his apple and was working on a carrot, which he'd cleaned by rubbing against his silk shirt. MJ made a face at that and Larry shifted so that his legs draped over the side of the wheelbarrow and he could better see his big brother. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized his older sibling.

"You look different." Larry noticed.

MJ let his henge drop and Larry did the same, revealing that the blue hair that Ludwig had previously trimmed had grown back out, but now it wasn't in a mohawk, it was just all over his head in a shaggy style much like MJ's hair.

Larry asked, "How come you're not at the palace like they said you would be?"

"Who said I would be there?"

"My retainer."

"Oh."

"So how come you weren't there?" Larry persisted.

MJ rolled his eyes and said, "Because they hate me there."

Larry made a sour face and said, "Why? Did you beat people up or something?"

MJ chose not to answer the boy. It wasn't as if Larry could fathom the concept of predisposed hatred at his age.

Instead MJ asked, "Did they like you where you were at?"

Larry shrugged and said, "I guess so. The people acted nice and my retainer was nice and they treated me good."

MJ snorted and muttered, "Yeah, that's probably because you're little and cute."

"I'm not little, I'm twelve!" Larry spoke defensively.

But he wasn't very tall, so the claim couldn't stand. MJ stared straight ahead, wondering how Roy was faring in his kingdom. He knew that Roy had a temper and wouldn't do well if people even looked at him funny, let alone treated him with the same animosity that they did with MJ. But in his letter, Roy said that things were okay. That was it. What he was supposed to take from that, MJ didn't know. Roy could be awful vague when he wanted to be, and writing letters wasn't something he usually did; MJ was surprised to get one at from him at all. He thought that if anyone would write, it'd be his sentimental little sister, but he hadn't heard from Wendy at all. He worried about that. She was a young girl, left alone with a bunch of Koopas for protection in a foreign land. If they treated her anything like they treated MJ, then the young man knew there'd be cause for alarm.

_But Wendy's a girl, and very pretty. I doubt they would treat her badly, _MJ thought, mostly to stop his own panic from rising. _Besides, if Roy wrote me, I know he must've written to her, and if she's in trouble she'd tell him. I can tell they're close like that. _

"MJ?"

"What, Larry?"

"How do you know Ludwig is not dead."

MJ frowned and said, "He's not dead."

"But how do you know?" Larry asked insistently.

He was getting scared and he had his knees tucked up to his chest in the wheelbarrow.

"I just know." MJ snapped, trying to combat his own doubts.

_He can't be gone, _MJ thought fervently. _It's probably just some dumb rumor people made up because they haven't heard from him in a while. _

"But-"

"Larry." MJ stated firmly. "You remember when we were in the bunker, and a whole two months went by before Ludwig came to see us?"

Larry nodded silently.

"Well, this is just like that." MJ reasoned. "He'll come around."

Larry blinked and seemed uncertain, then the anxiety dissipated from his features and he let his legs stretch out again as he relaxed.

"How come you live so far out?" He asked.

MJ said, "Because I want to."

"You stay by yourself?" Larry enquired curiously.

"Sorta'." MJ replied reluctantly.

He didn't want to delve into the relationship he shared with the elderly couple. He wasn't in a talkative mood for once. That was why he was so glad when the farm came into view. He dropped off the wheelbarrow and put the fruits and vegetables on the porch with the bottle of medicine, then went over to his little shack with Larry on his heels. As soon as they got inside, Larry started touching everything.

"Ooh, cool! did you make these?" He asked his brother excitedly.

MJ snatched the wooden figure of an oak tree out his brother's hand and placed it back onto the shelf with the others, sitting it next to the figure of a deer. Larry stared at the figures with intrigue.

"Yes, I made them," MJ answered. "So don't mess with them."

"I won't break them," Larry vowed. "I just wanna' play-"

"They're not toys!" MJ lectured.

Larry's attention bounced from the figures to the books, and before MJ could stop him he snatched one off of the shelf and flipped through it.

"Hey," He cried, "There's no pictures in this book!"

"Course they're aren't." MJ frowned, taking it from his brother and re-shelving it.

Larry asked, "Then why read it? It looks boring."

MJ started to say something but Larry pointed to the wooden figures again.

"Why would you make these if they're not to play with?" He wanted to know.

MJ wanted to tell him how they were just projects to pass the time but he was yet interrupted.

"How did you make 'em, by the way?" Larry wanted to know, then asked, "Did you use this knife-"

"Don't touch that!"

MJ first grabbed the whittling tool from his brother and then lifted his sibling up by the underarms.

"Hey!" Larry protested.

Onto the straw pallet MJ plopped his little brother and said, "Now don't move: you're starting to get on my nerves."

_And I'm starting to remember how annoying you can be, _MJ added in his head.

Larry pouted and crossed his arms but stayed put, contenting himself with looking around the place. He quickly lost his anger for wonder.

"How come your place is so small?" He blurted.

"I like it that way."

"Where's the bathroom?"

"You don't wanna' know."

"How come there's no food-"

"Larry," MJ sighed, "Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Because I wanna' know things." Larry answered in a small voice.

MJ hadn't meant to raise his own, but he was just getting irritated. He now gazed at his brother with a softer expression and came to sit beside him on the straw pallet. He rubbed his shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"Oh." He said, then added, "Well I guess that's okay."

Inside, MJ was still perturbed by the fact that Ludwig was gone so long because he could just feel that something was wrong. He ran his mouth a lot so he knew a thing or two about rumors, and one fact was that there was always a bit of truth to every one; which meant that something must have happened to his eldest sibling.

_I have to find out what, _he knew. And after a few more moments of thought, thankfully Larry kept silent, MJ stood. Larry gazed up at him, alert.

"We're going to Arid City." He announced.

Naturally, Larry asked, "For what?"

"Roy."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, hope you liked it everybody. I know it wasn't very long, but oh well. Please don't hesitate to tell me what you liked or disliked about this latest chapter in a review!**

**We'll check in with our eldest Koopaling, yo, and also see what princess-y duties Daisy has to take care of, and see Luigi get a change of scene in his training (don't worry, his training's almost over)**

**Until then! **

**~DymondGold~**


	8. Chapter 8

**...you guys I think I'm out of touch with this story. My writing just feels very...blah. I feel like these past chapters have been the most boring ever, I just feel like the spark is gone...if you can tell, please let me know. I don't want to beat a dead horse with this...**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Today was his birthday. He was eighteen now. Funny, he didn't feel any older or any different. He just felt lonely. Lying in a four-poster, king-sized bed decked out in silks and cottons and way too many pillows than he needed, he felt so alone. It hit him today more than any other because he knew how he'd be spending it were he back with his siblings, his family. Instead he was here, in this lavish bedroom, a million miles from home. With his arms behind his head and his eyes gazing far beyond the war and bloodshed mural on the ceiling, he thought of more familiar things. That is, until a chipper knock rattled his door.

The young man instinctively sat up and glanced at the door, letting the cool black sheets pool around his waist. He wore no shirt, but that was to be expected when he had about a thousand layers of sheets covering the bed. Besides that, it was notoriously hot in this kingdom.

"S'open," the newly-turned eighteen-year-old called.

And that was all the invitation his retainer needed to come barreling into his bedroom with about thirty others in tow. They were musicians, and at the portly, bespectacled retainer's command, they began to play a soft but festive tune.

"Good morning, Rex!" The pink-skinned retainer greeted.

He had to be hot under his white coat and slacks, but that went unnoticed by the grinning, balding man.

The young man on the bed, Rex as he'd been called, winced a bit as the room was first bathed in music and then flooded with light. He could now see that his retainer was indeed sweating and that there was indeed a live band of musicians playing a concert in his room.

Not that he was too surprised.

The people loved him here.

He hadn't been dropped off a week before he came face to snout with Arid City's most feared enemy, the Scar-Toothed Crouchers. It was an odd name for a deadly breed of beasts, given their name for their preferred method of attacking their prey. His encounter happened in the dead of night because he hadn't been adjusting well to palace life and had taken a walk outside the boundaries of the city gates; that was when he'd been bitten by one of the fearsome, grey-skinned monsters. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe it was luck, but the gifted teenager had been able to take down not only the creature who'd bitten him, but the three others who came after him as well. He'd used a combination of his staggering strength and his magical abilities and all it took was for a handful of soldiers out on patrol at the city gates to witness the whole encounter. From then on, his name and deeds spread like a bad rumor and grew increasingly more exaggerated the more often the tale was told.

It didn't take long for him to rise to a state of heroism in the people's eyes.

What the boy mistook for a random experience he should never like to repeat was deemed a victory against the age-old enemies of the entire kingdom. The king himself had never really taken to the boy whom the self-declared new King of the Badlands had plopped in Arid City's lap, but he soon had a change of heart. For too long, the Crouchers would attack the kingdom each month, taking more and more lives with each attack. To have someone defeat the creatures when even Arid Kingdom's best, brightest, and brawniest of warriors could not; well, that warranted the king's favor.

_And then some, _the young man thought on the bed, recounting how he was showered with gifts and praise. Even now, after months had passed, he was still treated as a hero and a prince. If his nickname were anything to go by, that title was well within his reach.

"And how are you on this fine day?" His retainer's booming voice called out pleasantly.

The young man yawned and shrugged, letting that be his answer. It did no less to widen his retainer's smile, and briefly the young man wondered if there was anything he could do now to fall out of the king's and the people's good graces.

Everywhere he went, eyes followed. He could pride himself on the envious looks of other men of all ages, though he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the heady lust present in the gazes of women both his age and much older. And not just his looks granted him favor, but his abilities as well. Here his strength was legend.

"I come bearing a gift," His retainer then spoke over the music, "From the king, for your birthday."

And now the young man was expecting some golden trinket or hefty sum of money or bag of jewels. He'd been drowned in such pricey affections over the course of the last several weeks and they were beginning to lose their luster. But that wasn't what his gift was.

The music died down and the young man watched as the musicians began to make room for someone. Someone whose every step was punctuated with the sound of tiny, jingling bells.

The young man called Rex's eyes widened a small bit because he knew what this was. He'd studied up on Arid Kingdom's laws, rituals, and customs under the guidance of his faithful retainer. Just as he'd informed his retainer in passing of his impending day of birth, he'd been informed of a rather dated tradition surrounding a royal-born male's eighteenth year.

He hadn't moved an inch in his bed when this girl, this beautiful young woman a little older than himself came and stood before him. In her hands there was a tray of food. It was nothing he hadn't seen before: fresh fruit, toasted bread, sweet porridge, a hearty portion of savory steak, raw oats, and gilded mug of hot tea. This was breakfast.

_So that must mean..._ The young man quickly deduced that he was right. The girl was the gift. _His _gift. His...concubine.

If there was ever a time he was in doubt of how the king thought of him, despite all the kindnesses he'd been shown in the past few weeks, his favor was yet again confirmed now.

The girl was still standing before him and the young man's retainer glanced at her approvingly. He then turned towards his charge.

"The King would have you at his side in the arena once you're done, Rex." The retainer announced, then he winked at the young man and added, "Take your time, though; it _is _your birthday, after all."

And he and the musicians made their exit, leaving the one called Rex alone with his 'gift'. He was conflicted. Uncomfortable, even. He stared at her and couldn't deny she was beautiful, but that only brought more light to her purpose and made him uncomfortable again.

"Would you like to eat, my Lord?" The girl spoke.

The young man winced because her use of that title was only emphasizing the dynamics of their relationship, but he played off his discomfort and nodded. He moved so that his back was near the bed's headboard and reached for the tray of food. What he hadn't anticipated was the young woman climbing onto the bed as well and sidling up next to him. She gave him a sultry smile and asked if he was nervous.

"No." He immediately denied, but the young woman laughed.

She laughed lightly. "If you say so, my Lord."

"Don't call me that." He asked of her.

The girl tilted her head and said. "Okay then. Rex."

He wanted to tell her not to call him that, either, but he changed his mind. Everyone else called him Rex, so he'd reserve the use of his real name for his siblings only.

_If I ever see them again, _he thought dismally.

"Aren't you going to eat, Rex?" He heard the girl ask, then add, "If you want, I could feed you."

He glanced sideways at her and saw her dark brown eyes alight at his attention. She really was physically captivating with eyes like those. They illuminated her tawny-skinned face and complimented a pair of ruby lips well. And her thick, curly black hair was moderately short but flounced all around her head like a wild, shiny mane. She was pretty.

_I wish we hadn't met like this, _the young man thought. He knew what a concubine was, and what he was expected to do with one, but that's why he was nervous, deep down. He'd only initiated...that kind of behavior a couple of times in the past, and both times he felt like he was playing a role he couldn't quite get into.

As he began to eat, he pondered how he was going to...make use of this girl when he didn't even so much as know her name. He was eating his steak when he thought of this and the thought of what 'making use' of her would entail made him turn a color in the face that was reminiscent of his shaggy pink hair.

"What's the matter, Rex?" The girl asked, though she sounded amused.

"Nothing," He answered quickly, then asked, "What's your name?"

"...Eriana." She answered, blinking at his blurted inquiry.

He nodded and said out of habit from manners his older brother severely doubted he even had, "Nice to meet you."

"I'll say." Eriana smirked and spoke quietly to herself.

She continued to observe the young man, who took generous bites at his food as if he were trying to eat away his thoughts. She thought no harm in laying a hand on his upper arm, for in her mind she meant to calm the clearly anxious young man. But when he stiffened, she moved her hand back and gazed thoughtfully at him. She would have asked him about his overt unease, but he rose suddenly and put the tray on his nightstand.

_This is just weird, _he thought in regards to his 'gift'. It was one thing to read about having someone at your beck and call, solely to allay any primal desires you had, but to be thrust into such an arrangement himself was unnerving. He found very quickly that he didn't like anyone touching him without his permission and hardly felt comfortable doing that to anyone else, whether it was his 'right' or not. This was causing him emotional unrest.

So, in his typical fashion, he chose to ignore it.

_I'll just go blow off steam at the arena, _he figured, heading to his closet to get fully dressed.

His closet was another testament of his status in the kingdom. It was beyond walk-in, and had so many different clothes he could wear a different outfit every day for a year and still have combinations untried. Not just clothes he had, but hats and belts and boots and sandals and tons of jewelry.

The enormous amount of accessories normally made him swell up with pride, but today it only reminded him of his little sister and how much she'd enjoy this more than him. He frowned and stared down at the maroon boots near his feet. He already had on a pair of cool, thin pants of the same color, so he bent down strapped the tailored shoes onto his bare feet. When he stood back up, it was to pick out a shirt-or what passed for one here. It, too, was maroon and was more of a vest that left the middle of his chest and stomach exposed, as well as his toned arms.

From a set of wooden drawers he took out select gold ornaments; a pair of gold rings, one for each bicep. It was another status symbol, as was the heavy chain-link gold medallion he withdrew and put around his neck. He normally wore a bunch of rings, too, but he wasn't in the mood to dress up today. He just couldn't shake that homesick feeling.

There was a particular had resting on a shelf with a bunch of others; it was special in that he wore it whenever he made a public appearance at the arena. It was more of a golden headdress and at first he thought it was silly to wear it, that was closer to the time when he first arrived in Arid City. But soon he learned that it was another power symbol and grew used to its weight atop his bright pink locks.

When he was fully arrayed in his clothes and accessories, he left the closet and saw the girl, Eriana, lying on her side on the bed. Only then did he notice what she was wearing, besides the seductive smile. Her pants were really shorts were really underwear, when it came down to it. They fit over her curvy bottom tightly, as if they were painted on. The sheer mauve pants she wore did nothing to hide those underthings and they ended right at her knees. Her stomach was completely exposed and he could see a line of diamonds piercing her navel and below, and her top was nothing more than a glorified black bra with the same mauve sheer material forming a sheath and cap sleeves above it. Around her neck was a golden choker with black velvet threaded between each chain link, and there was a dainty gold chain-link bracelet around her wrist.

At first he thought her outfit was stunning, then the chains reminded him of bondage, and then he remembered his sister who always craved freedom and independence, and then he grew disgusted with ever seeing his sister wearing something like that. He turned his head.

"I'm going to the arena." He told the wall.

"Then I will go with you," came Eriana's eager declaration.

He only shrugged and left the room with her in tow.

* * *

Easton was beautiful. For a long time, mostly as a child, Daisy couldn't appreciate the kingdom's simplicity; she'd seen nothing but grass and boredom. But now, being older and having lived through war and other sobering experiences, she could relish in the place. There weren't many trees or other sorts of vegetation, just vast stretches of dull green grass. Scattered here and there were gently-sloping hills and small bodies of water, all leading over towards a wide river near the horizon. The princess stared at the scenery a bit wistfully from the inside of her carriage. For a few more minutes, she could hear the sound of the vehicle's wheels creaking along the ground, and the sound of the many horse hooves clopping through the soft grass as her team of soldiers and other royal personnel traveled behind her. Soon, though, the noises stopped and gave way to a new sound.

Whistling.

It was slightly muted, since today was not a windy one, but the eerie sound was still perceptible. Before even getting out, the princess knew what that noise was.

_It hasn't gotten any less creepy since I was a kid, _she noticed with a small shiver.

An attendant opened her door and helped her down out of the carriage. After thanking them, Daisy stared at the thing responsible for the otherworldly whistling sound; er, the _things. _There were eleven of them to be exact.

"It's been a while since I've seen these," Daisy whispered to herself.

She stood near the carriage with her lightweight maroon cloak hanging on her shoulders. It was open and the flaps under her neck caught the breeze. She didn't even notice because her light eyes were fixed on one of the eleven things, the statues that surrounded her and her party. There was no official name for the gargantuan grey stones that bore the likeness of human heads in various expression of grief, nor was there a forthcoming theory of their function.

_Nightmare fodder, probably, _the princess thought with a faint wince.

"Shall we go out, then?" Someone asked.

Daisy blinked and turned her head, feeling the unfamiliar weight of her diamond crown resting on her thick, pinned up hair. She lifted a brow for clarification's sake.

The uniformed woman who'd spoken said, "Shall my team and I go out and alert the citizens of your arrival now?"

"Yes." Daisy nodded, then watched the other woman bow her head respectfully and leave.

There were about five or six soldiers leaving with her, and three other similar-sized groups were leaving as well in different directions. These scouts had the task of rounding up all the people of Easton and gathering them here in the middle of the field with the statues.

_Not like there's a name for this area, _Daisy thought. She knew it was much different from Chai, where everything had a name and purpose, almost down to the last errant blade of grass.

Several others gathered with the princess began acting in a similar fashion; gaining her permission to go about their designated jobs. Some of them were tasked with unloading the supplies and tents they'd all be sleeping in, while others were charged with setting up the collapsible tables and chairs that were brought along. There was a lot to be done and, being from the infamous City of Order, everybody got right down to work.

Daisy helped out wherever she could. She knew the itinerary well: on this first day, she'd greet the people, inform them of her plans to help rebuild and restore the kingdom, and hand out free meals and clothing and necessity kits. Later on, she'd have sign-ups for whoever would like to be official leaders in the communities. Tomorrow, she'd have to hold interviews for those potential leaders and leave behind select representatives from Chai to train them and monitor their progress to report back to her.

_It's a good thing we got here early, _She noted, though she had to smile wryly because it wasn't as if the person whose job it was to calculate arrival and departure times would be wrong; no, if Chai's workers were anything, they were thorough, no matter how menial their job was.

Daisy helped set up the tables and chairs first. They were made of an easily-portable metal material and took no time to unfold and assemble. The long silver furniture stuck out against the pastoral setting of Easton, but the soft, lily-white tablecloths did help in muting their coldness. From there, Daisy moved over to where there was a team of workers filling up huge metal pots with water and helped them with that. Again, there wasn't much work to be done since the water was fresh and already packed from Chai. The pots were lightweight as well and Daisy had no problem carrying a few of the dozens over towards the side of the long tables. She assisted in setting a fire under each pot and then in pouring some of the food into the pots. The food was powderish and would take the form of a sort of chili once it had time to heat up and absorb the water. It was one of the quick-prep foods the military used.

_Not the most flavorful foods, _Daisy recalled, _But it's filling. _

And there was bread being unloaded from the horse to add to the meal, along with containers of water. There were clothes being stacked on the left end of the contiguous tables. The clothes were folded neatly and came in three different sizes; man, woman, and child. White and cottony they were, just a shirt and pants that were tied with twine. In the middle of the tables there was a bunch of hard paper boxes filled with toiletries, simple medicines, a first-aid manual, and non-perishable goods like sacks of beans and rice and jars of nuts. On the very right end of the tables there were bowls being set near the bread and containers of water. Other than the odd whispering and the sounds of work, silence pervaded through the area.

Daisy knew that Chai was treating this like a mission and not an outreach to their fellow kingdom. The rigidity of it all gave that away. The food, the standard clothing, the neat little survival kits; it was all uniform and orderly and lacked any real warmth in its design.

_But that's where I come in, _she knew, smiling a bit. She knew she could provide the friendliness and genuine care that the well-meaning workers of Chai lacked for all their dutifulness.

By the time everything was finished being set up, the scouts were back with some of the villagers. Daisy took her place behind the tables, atop a mini-wooden stage, and saw her guards come to flank her on all sides. There were more guards as well, specifically there to corral the villagers into a tidy, circular herd and to also make sure no one got rowdy or tried to hurt the ruling Princess.

_I guess I can start now, _Daisy thought as she stood there, literally above everyone else.

It was silent in the area still and the princess took a moment to survey all the villagers who'd come in. They all had in common the worn-out look to them, what with the women's tired eyes and the hunched backs in some of the men. There were hardly no children present, and those that were around looked quiet and much too mature for their little bodies. These people knew hardship, hunger, and loss. They carried a practically palpable aura of grief and weariness. Daisy shivered not at the whispering breeze, but at the glassy look in some of their eyes. It was like they'd just given up and were living out the rest of their days in silent anticipation of life no more. It was depressing.

_But this is why I'm here, _Daisy thought resolutely, _to help them pick up the pieces after what Tatanga did__. _

And in that spirit, she spoke to the people. The crowd was small, but she gave a speech worthy of a stadiums' worth of ears. She apologized first for leaving her country in their time of need, as that had been weighing heavily on her conscience. All she got here were some confused gazes and blinks. When she spoke of her plans to join with the villagers to rebuild and restore their kingdom, though, they grew a bit more responsive. Tentative tendrils of hope started making its way through the audience, and when she was done speaking, they all bowed to her.

Daisy then went back down to the tables and busied herself with handing out meals and clothing and kits, and filling out logs of who wanted to volunteer for leadership positions. To her surprise, there were quite a few sheets that got totally inked out. With every item handed out gave a broad smile, and was pleased to see that the number of villagers was growing by the half-hour.

_Perhaps the word of free food and supplies drew them out, _Daisy mused when she had a moment to think.

It was taxing work to get hands-on like this, but she wouldn't have it any other way. In her eyes, her participation only vouched for her earlier words of bringing light back to the kingdom of Easton.

* * *

For some reason, that aching, lonely feeling just wasn't going away, no matter what. Usually being in the arena was something that brought the young 'Rex' an almost euphoric high, but not today. Today he got to the gates of the stadium and heard the deafening roar of the crowd and that feeling of lightness and excitement was significantly muted.

_What's goin' on with me today, _he wondered, only mildly upset. He was still slightly preoccupied with the girl that was following him around. Eriana. She was on his heels and had a curious look on her face that told him she wanted to know why they were standing at the gates of the arena and not going inside.

With an inward sigh, forlorn and frustrated, he pushed open the gates and winced a bit when Eriana took his hand. He saw the wisdom in that as he walked inside the stadium because it was so full of people, he would have lost her otherwise.

He led her straight towards the king's personal box, way up high near the middle of the left side of the arena. Already the king was standing and grinning at the young man's arrival.

"Rex!" He exclaimed.

He had his hands clasped behind his back because, early on, he'd found that Rex wasn't the hugging type. Barely bridling his excitement for the young hero, the king rocked gently on his heels and waited for Rex to come and take a seat at his left. To the young man's surprise, the girl Eriana sat in his lap, with her bottom on his left leg and her back arched primly. She could feel him stiffen but merely tilted her head again and gazed at him.

The young man glanced to his left but there was no seat there, and the king was at his right. He figured he'd leave it alone.

_Ain't like she's really botherin' me, _he reasoned, but that reason did nothing to stop his body from reacting in a very weird way. Not wholly unwelcome, but weird nonetheless. And speaking of weird reactions, the king saw this brief exchange and grinned.

"I see your gift has found her way to you," He remarked to the young Rex. "I trust you're enjoying your special day?"

The young man only shrugged noncommittally. He really wasn't. In fact, this was cracking up to be a very strange and gloomy one, despite the occasion. He didn't say any of that, though, just leaned back in his own stone seat and pretended to be interested in what was going on down below.

On the expansive sandy ground, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of spectators, a wrestling match was taking place. It was the sort where eight to ten of the brawniest men and women in the kingdom were duking it out in a no-holds-barred match to see who would be facing the champion.

Rex.

That was another of his nicknames here, once the people learned how strong he was against their mightiest warriors. Normally the 'Champion' loved attending these sport matches and couldn't wait to see who'd he'd be taking down, but not today. He just wasn't feeling it. He knew he'd have to muster up the vibe somehow, though, because there were only four people still standing, the others either knocked out cold or already carted out to the medical tower.

"You know, Rex," The king suddenly piped up, "I haven't really had the chance to properly thank you for all you've done."

At that the young man wore an incredulous expression. He'd received countless gifts and medals and tokens of appreciation from individual citizens, from the king, and on behalf of the entire Kingdom. Frankly, he was starting to wonder if it would ever end.

_Not that I'm really complaining, _the young man thought, then glanced at Eriana and felt a mixture of unease and foreign emotions well up inside him. He had a picture then, one of his little sister; had someone given her away as another man's gift?

_Don't be stupid, Roy. That ain't gonna' happen, _he convinced himself. Poorly.

Roy glanced at the king and watched him gaze at the wrestling match with intrigue. He wasn't very old for a king, from what Roy could tell. He still had his black hair, no grays, and there weren't many wrinkles in his tanned face, just a few near his sparkling brown eyes and near his mouth when he grinned. The king did that now as he faced Roy.

"Here you are, then." He handed the young man something in a black box.

Roy took the proffered gift and felt Eriana's soft hand latch onto his shoulder to keep her balance as she leaned down, peering nosily at the box in his hands. He paid her little mind and removed the lid of the paper thing, then tugged something porcelain and painted from the bed of velvet it lay on.

"Ooh," Eriana cooed softly beside his ear.

Roy knew it was a flask, but that was the extent of his knowledge. He held it in his callused hand as carefully as he could so as not to shatter it. It was metal with black and gold and red paint clashing all over it in elegant swirls and, on the bottom, there was his name. Well, there was the name 'REX'. Roy made a sour face, and that made Eriana smile, though he didn't see her out the corner of his eye.

The king didn't take offense to his expression, merely stated, "You are of age, Rex. And I, as well as my kingdom, are in your debt."

Roy just stared at him.

The king grew solemn and motioned with his hand to the right. Roy followed his gaze with his own green eyes and saw a young woman stand. This one was seated next to the king to the right, and once she stood Roy could tell she was also probably older than he. Her dress was simple, just a Grecian white creation trimmed in gold with the hem above her knees. Her hair was the color of sand being tossed around in the wind and her eyes were like honey beneath thick brown brows. There was a slim gold circlet around her forehead and her thin lips were as pale as his sister's favorite color.

_Wen, _he thought to himself with a faint frown.

This new young woman approached the king and bowed before Roy. And, much to his obliviousness, two things happened. The girl in white flashed a very private, nervous grin, while the smile that had previously graced Eriana's mouth fell flat and gave way to a slightly vacant expression. Roy's eyes were on the king and the king's eyes had been yanked to the belly of the arena as one of the brawlers got clothes-lined.

Turning back to Roy, the king smiled and said, "May I present to you my niece, Ariadne."

If he'd been looking, Roy would have seen the flash of something stricken and alarmed dart over Eriana's face. Instead, Roy was staring at this Ariadne, who bowed to him and bore no trace of her earlier bashfulness. She was all grace and business.

"Hello, Rex." She spoke in a voice as fleeting as the warm wind around them.

"...Yo."

The King said, "As I said, you are of age now, and if you are willing, I'd like to see your union before I step down from the throne."

"...Wait...what?" Roy frowned.

Much as his younger brother pointed out, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and he was especially no linguist. But that last sentence had suspiciously reeked of marriage.

"I give you my niece's hand in marriage," The king confirmed. "Seeing as how her parents are deceased and I am her guardian."

Roy's frown deepened and he only now glanced at Eriana. By now the girl's tawny face was deceptively blank and her eyes followed Ariadne as she sat back at the king's right.

Roy spoke in confusion, "But I thought..." And he trailed off and glanced again at Eriana.

The King's laugh was booming as he caught onto the younger man's confusion. He leaned over towards Roy as if imparting some great secret.

"You'll only be betrothed to 'Adne now, you won't marry her until you're at least twenty-one." He stated.

Roy furrowed his brow and asked, "But what about-"

"Experience, my boy." The king interjected, already knowing what was on Roy's mind.

And that was all that was said on the matter. The King just winked and turned back to the match, leaving Roy with even more conflicting emotions than before.

"REX! REX! REX!"

But then the crowd was chanting.

"REX! REX! REX!"

And almost instinctively Roy stood, letting Eriana slide off his lap and, only vaguely aware of what he was doing, he gave her the box with the flask. He knew the match had ended and it was time to go down and fight in the arena. He used to loved doing this, showing off, getting glory.

"Good luck, Rex!" Someone's airy voice called to him; Ariadne. She was waving.

He waved back a small bit, absent-mindedly, and threw her a half-smile that he didn't know made her heart skip a beat. But then the same hand he waved to her with was tugged on lightly and he turned back to Eriana. She was sitting in his seat with her knees tucked under her. When he faced her, she rose up and kissed his cheek and he just brushed that off, along with the feelings it stirred inside him. Taking into account who she was to him and the king's words, he thought little of it, nor did he think to look back or he would have seen the curious looks exchanged between the two individuals on either side of the king.

Roy could very thick sometimes.

* * *

It had been a long day, and she'd almost forgotten to eat amidst all the activities, but now Daisy was lying alone in tent on her comfortable woolen pallet, trying to go to sleep. Her mind replayed the events of the day, from her speech to the last few meals being handed out. It was a good day, a successful day. She'd have to get up early the next day for interviews, so it would make sense to catch some shut eye.

But she couldn't get to sleep.

It wasn't for fear of danger. Not only was there nothing but grass and wind as far as the eye could see in all directions, but her tent was ensconced between several guards who were taking turns throughout the night, watching over her. She was tired, too, so she had every reason to drift off. Her body had been pushed from helping out almost non-stop today. She did crave sleep. But her mind wouldn't rest.

The princess turned onto her side and faced the two flaps of her tent that would lead outdoors. She didn't feel like taking a walk to clear her head, and she knew that there was only one thing on her mind.

Luigi.

She missed him so much. It'd only been a couple of days and already she missed going to sleep with him. That's what she was really yearning for. It didn't feel right to sleep alone anymore. She missed having him behind her, having his arms around her. She missed him holding her and only now she realized that it'd been longer than she first thought since she'd had that kind of comfort. She now understood why Luigi was so disappointed to see her go.

_We really haven't been seeing much of each other, _Daisy mused, the thought dawning on her.

The girl sighed into her pillow and shifted so that the pallet was better adjusted under her hip, then she pulled the blankets on top of herself and vowed to get back to the palace as quickly as she could.

* * *

**A/N: like I said, this really feels boring and uneventful to me. I hope I'm not spoiling your opinions of the story with my lack of enthusiasm. I think I'm checking out with the story bc I've been checking out on life; the same things don't bring me joy anymore. I think my depression is coming back. **

**Well. **

**On that note, I'll try and cheer myself up someway. Hopefully when I get to the exciting part of the story, things will look up (that's either in next chapter or the chapter after that)**

**Cheers**

**~DymondGold~**


	9. Chapter 9

****Yeah, I know it seems like all Luigi's been doing is training, but I didn't want it to be rushed; he's about to be trusted with Chai's troops (some of them) and that doesn't come easy. And naturally, the General has a very thorough process of ensuring he's a capable leader. But rest assured, that arc is about to be over anyway, so thanks for bearing with me :) ****

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

"This is the last part of your training-"

"Thank _God_."

By the slightly wounded look on his face, I'd say I must have hurt the General's feelings. Wow. That's a little unexpected, and plenty unfair, seeing as how my feelings weren't taken into account when I was put through utter hell-

_no one put you through it but you, _that voice in my head reminded me.

Which was true, but still. It was funny how, after literally jumping through hoops, I'm the bad guy here. What, was I supposed to sound heartbroken when Zair told me that brilliant piece of news just now? I couldn't contain that reaction if I tried. I was so ready for this 'training' to be over already, so now that he'd said this was the last thing, I started to perk up. Physically, I was still kind of sore from the previous week's session, yeah, that time with the cigarette-

_still can't believe that...what was that some kind of joke to him? _

I frowned but rubbed my side. It was healed, but I was still wary of being out here with Zair. He'd met me for training this morning at the palace doors, seemingly surprised I was still doing this.

_that would make two of us... _

From the palace he led me out to these woods that were, by my aching feet's estimate, a thousand miles from the palace. We were just standing here for a minute, then the General turned to me and told me that great news. Now he was seeming to be in thought. I shivered a bit because my shirt was my own, not the training garb I'd been wearing. I ruined those clothes a few days ago and now was wearing my old shirt and some sweats and my trainers. While the General held his staring match with the trees in the distance, I ran my hand through my hair and wished I'd slept in today. Just today.

_But he did say this was the last thing I'd have to do,_ I reminded myself.

"All you must do," General Zair suddenly spoke with a tad less enthusiasm, "Is get through these woods."

_Sounds easy, so it must really be hard,_ I automatically thought, then asked him what the catch was. He smiled faintly before answering me, his eyes still on the trees.

"There is no 'catch'." He told me.

_Lies_

"Just stay alive," He advised, then added, "I'll see you on the other side."

"Wait, you're going through these woods, too?" I frowned.

_If that's the case, I could just follow him, _my mind supplied.

General Zair quirked a brow and spoke bemusedly, "Of course not. I'll be going _around _them."

_Of course, _I thought, because even I knew how ridiculously easy that would have been. But then again, maybe not. Who knew if traveling with Zair was more dangerous than whatever travailing course he had set before me? Yeah, I was glad to see him go.

"Well," I murmured to myself, "better get this over with."

And that's when I set one foot in front of the other and made my way into the woods.

It was a clear day today, with blue skies and bright sunlight. There was even a cool breeze; not too chilly, just enough wind to keep the sweat off as I hiked through the dense forest. There were giant trees with trunks like towers and leaf-ridden branches that poked at the clouds and made me feel small. The ground underneath my feet was packed and dry, as if trodden over many times. And it wouldn't be a forest without the myriad of chirping, crawling, flying wildlife. It seemed like a normal forest.

_...that can't be good, _I thought suspiciously.

Sure enough, as I was approaching a particularly dense area of greenery, I saw something small and white stuck under a medium-sized piece of wood. I glanced over my shoulder for reasons beyond me before bending down to pull the paper from under the rock. I couldn't do that without ripping the paper a little at the corner.

It was a note.

Folded in half it was, with black cursive inked on the inside. I held the paper up in the light and read over it twice.

**_Sometimes a leader must forge a path of their own for others to follow _**

If my mind could take a corporal form right then, it'd be something in the shape of a question mark. Neither its meaning or purpose I knew of the note, and no answer was forthcoming from my own head so I just pocketed the paper and kept walking. The ground under my feet was still worn-down to the left of where the note was, so I started walking to the left. I figured it had to be worn down because lots of people walked this way and guessed it'd lead me out of the woods quicker.

I walked slightly to the left and kept going forward again. Over felled trees and random rocks I stepped, avoiding thick brambles and low-hanging branches. Once or twice a squirrel-looking creature ran across my feet, startling me a little. But other than that, there were no obstacles here. In fact, these woods could almost be called calm, serene, placid.

_doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down, _I frowned lightly.

Several minutes passed and I kept walking. Nothing but trees and foliage were around, so it wasn't hard to imagine how this became boring and tedious. I just kept stepping over logs, ducking branches, and dodging animals. All I kept seeing were the same old trees, bushes, and rocks.

Just tall trees.

Healthy shrubbery.

A freakishly-long brown snake.

And wait a minute, that rock looked familiar...

I stopped after what felt like a half an hour and stared at the rock near my right foot. It seemed like...sure enough it was! There was the little piece of white paper still under it from when I'd ripped away the note earlier. That could only mean-

"I've been going in circles." I spoke baldly.

_No wonder it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, _I realized. There was no other excuse for having run into this rock again. Even if I'd made just one big circle, I'd gotten no further from where I started. Great. I then wondered if maybe this was the General's idea of a test or a private joke or something; it wasn't hard to imagine the stone-faced general getting in a good laugh at the expense of some poor soul walking the same path over and over for hours.

Path.

At that trigger word, I fumbled around in my pocket and pulled out the note, then re-read it.

Thrice this time.

It seemed like the General was giving me some sort of clue or hint.

_which means he was banking on me walking in circles, _I thought, and there was no doubt in my mind that he might have engineered this section of the forest in some kind of endless loop. How he could have done that was beyond me. Sorcery maybe?

_Whatever, I can be mad about this later, _I reasoned. If I wanted to make it through this forest sometime today, I'd have to keep moving. I already lost enough time with the General's little trip-me-up.

"Forge a new path..." I muttered, thinking through narrowed eyes.

I stared first at the rock and then lifted it to see if there was anything else under it. When I found nothing but dirt and worms, I dropped it and glanced around. Behind me was the worn dirt path, and ahead there were two directions I could go in. I already knew that to the left I'd be walking in circles, but to the right there was a veritable wall of trees and bushes. I took my chances and headed towards the woody, grassy barrier.

Almost immediately I felt my arms smart from where a couple branches scraped the exposed skin there. I didn't stop, just lifted my foot over some bushes. The prickly leaves and brambles snagged on my sweats and I tripped and threw my hands out to catch myself; bad idea if the blood on my palms were any indication: I'd gotten some tiny thorns from the bushes jammed into them.

_Just keep moving, _I coaxed myself.

I dusted my hands on my pants and stood and was a little more careful in tearing through the wood and foliage. Just as soon as I broke through into a brighter-lit clearing, I saw something flutter down from my shoulder. Something light and feathery and white. The blood from my hands smeared the paper's edges. This time, I kept walking as I read it. I couldn't afford to waste any more time.

**_A leader must be wary of their every step_**

No sooner had the thought occurred to me to look down did I feel something close around one of my ankles and jerk me upwards by the leg, high in the air, until I was suspended upside down from one of those gargantuan tree's branches.

The blood was rushing to my head faster than I was able to comprehend what had just happened. I mentally backtracked and noted with an inward groan and an outward scowl that I'd stepped directly into some primitive-looking trap like some kind of dumb animal.

Images of the General, peering at me through binoculars or something and yucking it up filled my head and I felt myself get mad. But I calmed down, because I was currently dizzy as hell and swinging from a tree; I could get mad later. I needed to get down as soon as possible.

_But how? I'm stuck up here, _I thought with just a little panic. And that panic was responsible for the somewhat undignified positions and contortions I flailed my body into over the course of the next ten to twelve seconds. Physically spent, I stopped moving and just let myself swing languidly back and forth. Unbidden, something caught my eye.

Another note.

This one was stuck on the rope as if it'd been partially tucked in between the knots of the gold thread. The note was near the cuff of my pants leg, though, so I'd have to double over and get it.

_Oh boy, _I thought, but the training with Zair actually did pay off to some extent. I didn't nearly have as much trouble as I thought I would with tucking my upper half over my ankle, and that was no easy feat. I guess I _had _gotten stronger these last few weeks after all.

_Doesn't mean I agree with how that came to be, though _

Once I was gripping the rope at my ankle, I plucked the note free and scanned over it a few times.

**_When put in a bind, a leader must explore every angle of an issue to find a solution_ **

Man, I think it was luck or some sort of cosmic happenstance that, after I looked up, I saw where the tree and the branch I was tied to formed a near-perfect right angle. It was kind of creepy but it gave me an instant idea; one that was kind of risky and, if I wasn't careful, could involve me bashing my brains out, but luck seemed to be on my side today so I decided to try it.

I dropped the note and then concentrated on swinging my body back and forth, harder and harder, until I'd build up some momentum. Now here was the dangerous part. Before my face went crashing into the rough bark, I stopped myself with one hand and did my best to grip the trunk with the other. I failed.

Horribly.

I winced because it felt like I'd accidentally scraped the side of my face raw, it was burning and stinging badly. Not to mention my palms were still sore from landing on the prickly brambles earlier and now they, too, were stinging because the cuts had been made worse. My hands were bleeding anew but, shakily, I tried again. I mean it was either that, or stay up here like a butcher's slab of meat until the sun set or longer. I was trying again.

This time I made it.

I gripped the tree trunk for all I was worth, even though my hands were itching to let go and find a nice cool pool of water to dip themselves in. I held onto the trunk and enacted the second part of my idea; this part was less dangerous and more strenuous, as it involved moving the lower half of my body over to where I was. I just had to drag my bound right leg down the branch towards the body of the tree and, once I did that, I gripped the rope around my ankle and pulled myself up until I was sitting on the branch with my back to the rest of the tree.

I did it!

Yeah, the victory was a relief but it only muted the pain in my hands and face for a few seconds. Then I grimaced at my smarting wounds and hurriedly untied my leg and hopped down from the tree branch. The fact that I didn't stumble was another testiment of how much progress I'd made physically.

Now that I was back on the ground I rolled my neck and didn't take a single step until I'd surveyed the ground in the area for more ropes and traps. And even then, I walked slowly so as not to make the same mistake twice. Some of the traps were obvious, like the one I'd walked into, but others were trickily hidden beneath dirt and leaves or near bushes. Somehow I made it from the expansive clearing across to where the trees took up every square inch of ground again.

I would have to say an hour passed before I saw that the traps had gotten few and far between, so I paid less attention to where my feet were going and more about the rumbling ache in my stomach.

_But that's what I get for listening to the General, _I recalled.

He'd told me not to eat this morning and, like a fool, I listened to him. Now I saw why. He clearly intended to starve me and drive me mad out here in the wilderness. Or that could just be the hunger talking.

Something caught my eye and this time it wasn't a note.

It was food. Or at least I think it was. Brightly-colored little things growing on bushes counted as food, right? My stomach and I hoped so, anything would be welcome at this point.

Just as I reached for some of the berries, I saw another note wedged into the bushes. I debated whether I should just read it later, but something told me to just go ahead and see what the General had to say. Maybe it was the fact that this note had words written on both sides. It may have been important, so I reached for it.

**_Being human, a leader will face various urges, but must not let the outcry of the flesh dull the senses_**

I snorted to myself and flipped the note over.

**_Seriously. Don't eat these. They will kill you._**

Several paces I stepped back, away from the bush, in alarm. I wondered vehemently why there would be killer berries here and why they had to look so good, and I didn't want to give the General the benefit of the doubt by assuming this bush was just here and he integrated it into his training plan. He had to have plotted this. Somehow.

Food.

The smell of it wafted through the air, making my mouth water and my belly ache in want. I glanced aroung and couldn't see anything, so I let my nose do the guiding and walked blindly towards the warm scent of something spicy and delicious. I came upon an odd scene; of all the places to set up camp, some young woman had chosen to do it in the middle of this crazy forest.

She was petite and had black hair that was in a ponytail. A plain white shirt and shorts she wore with brown boots and a brown knapsack by her feet. She was sitting on one of many logs that surrounded a fire. Atop that fire was a makeshift grill and a medium-sized metal pot rested on top of that. That was where the good smell was coming from, so that was where I stared. But something reminded me that this was rude and I tore my eyes away to speak to the woman.

"Hullo," She spoke to me first.

I said, "Hey."

She stood then and came over to me and stuck out her hand. She may have told me her name but I wasn't paying attention, as much I was embarrassed to admit. I just smiled and told her my name in turn.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked me with a friendly smile.

I told her honestly, "I don't even know anymore," and she laughed.

"Well would you like something to eat?" She then inquired.

I nodded and said, "If you don't mind."

"Not at all!" This woman I didn't know insisted.

She went over to the pot and I followed her and watched her pick up a bowl that was hanging off the side of the pot's handle. She filled the bowl with what looked like chili and dug a spoon from her pocket. She stirred the chili in the bowl, then took a bite and grinned.

"Yup, it's done." She announced, then handed the bowl to me.

I was too hungry to do more than wipe the spoon off with the hem of my shirt before digging in.

_It's not poisoned, _I told myself as I ate, _She took a bite herself. _

That proved nothing, but I was too hungry and tired to worry right now. While I was eating, the young woman came up near me and tilted her head.

"You've got some pretty nasty cuts there," She remarked, then glanced at my hands and said, "Ouch. How did that happen?"

"You don't want to know." I murmured into the emptying bowl of chili.

It was spicy, alright, which was a surprise coming from bland old rule-abiding Chai, but it was good. I looked at the young woman as she moved over to where her brown knapsack was lying near her log seat. She crouched and bent over the sack, rummaging around. I finished my chili and walked over to her.

"Hey where do you want me to put th-whoa!"

As soon as I got to her, the girl leapt up and swiveled around and started waving two knives at me. I tripped over one of the logs in my haste to get away from her. She had a blade in each hand and a fierce look in her eyes.

_What the hell?! _

I dodged her weapons and then made a grab for the woman that was much smaller than me; I did manage to disarm her, but before I could even ask her why she just decided to come at me with all piss and vinegar, she bolted, leaving her blades behind.

"What the hell?" I had to ask aloud now.

It only made sense that there was a little white slip near the log she'd been sitting near. I almost didn't want to pick it up but I did, and when I read it I rolled my eyes.

**_A leader must always remain vigilant; not all is as it seems _**

"You don't say," I drawled sarcastically to myself.

That was definitely the last thing I expected to happen, so I had to give the General props for his creativity...however twisted it was, it served its purpose.

I tucked the note into my pocket and, remembering my encounter with the traps, I picked up the two blades. They might come in handy.

* * *

It was cold. It was getting late. Thus, it was too fortunate that a certain thirteen-year-old reached his destination. Removing the hood of his fine white cloak, he walked up to what he presumed was the front door of the place with his little brother in tow. The house was looked more like a bullet with its metal exterior and perfectly rounded, oblong shape. It was as if a bullet had lodged itself in the groung and someone had just knocked out a chunk of the front of it as an entry; the outline of the door consisted of jagged lines. The whole place was sketchy, as it was plopped smack-dab in the middle of nowhere with no civilized town or village for many miles in all directions. Nothing but dead, blackened grass and cloudy grey skies could the two youth see.

_I didn't expect the coordinates to lead me here, _The older of the two thought to himself, running slender alabaster fingers through his lime locks to straighten it from where the hood of his cloak had mussed it.

_Nonetheless, I'm here, so I may as well see what's so important about this location, _he reasoned.

And with that he laid one hand over his little brother's shoulder, drawing him nearer because of the cold and for safety reasons, and with his other hand he made a fist and knocked. The metal of the 'door' felt ice-cold against his knuckles, and he withdrew them quickly. Even more quickly, a slat in the center of the top of the door was harshly slid to the side.

The younger child jumped.

Those eyes were mismatched, one blue and the other bright pink. They were also set beneath one decidedly angry-looking black unibrow.

"What do you want?" A nasally voice asked them.

The older child spoke coolly, "Information."

"Do I _know _you?" The angry eyes asked.

"I was sent here by Ludwig." the adolescent stated in answer.

Something akin to recognition passed over those angry eyes and made them turn contemplative. But then they grew suspicious.

"Why did he send you?"

"I'm looking for information about my origins." The pale boy replied.

A pause, then.

"What is your name?"

"Ignatius Koopa."

"I figured as much," The eyes rolled and a sigh was heard before the metal door swung open.

Again, the smaller child jumped and stepped a bit behind his brother at the sight of the taller man.

A lab coat, from neck to ankles, covered the older male. Besides his mismatched eyes and unibrow, he had a mane of coiled white hair and long, spindly fingers added to his unnerving appearance. There were black boots peeking underneath his coat but nothing more could be seen, not that either boy had a desire to see much more of the odd man.

"So you must be Lemmy," The man predicted, gazing at the smaller boy.

Lemmy was seven, he could talk. He was just too freaked out to at the moment, and could only stare back at the man with his eyes slightly wider than usual. The man stuck out his hand towards the older boy.

"Dr Moxin Sanus," He introduced himself.

Iggy took his time in wrapping his hand around the tip of Dr. Sanus' fingers and giving them a ginger shake. Even that amount of contact made the fledgeling teenager want to wipe his hand on his pants, but he didn't want to be rude. He was taught that everyone and everything deserved respect.

_Even weird people, _he thought, then mused, _even if the person who taught me that seems to have forgotten it himself. _

Also, he didn't want to offend the person who could potentially help him find out about where he came from. In that vein, he gave the doctor a polite smile.

"So can you tell me about my origins?" He asked, trying not to sound impatient, even though he'd traveled for weeks on end to know.

"I believe so," Dr. Sanus spoke slowly, "though I make no promises."

Iggy nodded, understanding this but hoping he'd get some kind of payoff for all the time he'd spent back and forth, drawing dead end after dead end. Dr. Sanus gazed over both boys and shook his head as if in awe of something.

"You've really changed so much," He spoke in a soft voice, then added blithely, "I mean I thought the lot of you had croaked after the Great War, but then Ludwig-"

"What's the Great War?" Iggy blurted.

_So much for not being rude, _he thought, though in his defense he couldn't help it. He'd encountered that term, the 'Great War' a few times before in his research but he still didn't know what it was or what happened during the enigmatic period. There were hardly any books on it, and so far he'd just gotten snippets here and there by word of mouth.

Dr. Sanus opened his own, probably to give an answer, but at that moment a deep, intrusive foghorn blared throughout the inside of his house and rang across the empty outside air. Iggy winced and Lemmy now fully hid behind his older brother, covering his ears and shivering a bit in the cold.

"Ah!" Dr. Sanus exclaimed, "That'll be the cookies!"

Iggy quirked a brow but another noise was heard; this time it was the rumbling of thunderclouds from the grey skies above. Dr. Sanus stepped aside and opened his door more fully.

"Come in, come in," He ushered the boys inside. "It's about to get nasty out there."

Iggy glanced down at his brother and rubbed his arm gently, then took the child's hand and led him inside. His thirst for knowledge compelled him to ignore that tiny, worrisome voice whispering fears in the back of his mind.

* * *

**A/N: Well. I'm back at it, I guess. It's a good thing I can write at work, or else I wouldn't have time to update at all. Like I said, things are going to pick up for me but I appreciate your concern! I don't like broadcasting stuff like that over the internet but I just didn't care at the time. I'm glad I've got a bunch of understanding readers! **

**I'll see about updating again as soon as I can. I loved reading all your reviews and PM's, it put idiotic smiles on my face throughout the last few days. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! **

**I think I said it before, but I don't like adding a bunch of OC's for no reason, so either they don't last or there's a reason for them being around. I prefer sticking to the regular cast if I can help it. **

**Until next time! **

**~DymondGold~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A slightly longer chapter for you :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

Not for the first time, I was faced with a choice, and based on how I ended up, I think it was safe to say I made the wrong one. See, I was walking in the opposite direction than that homicidal-yet-hospitable woman, looking out for traps and the like, when I'd noticed a fork in the woods. On the left, there was a clearing, similar to the one I'd been in with the girl who'd fed me...and then tried to kill me. On the right, there was a dense wooded area. I had to make a choice, and this time there wasn't a little white note to help me. So first I'd weighed my options.

If I chose the clearing, I might run into another unpleasant obstacle like the girl or the traps. It was like a trap in and of itself because it looked a whole lot safer than the dense wooded area.

But on the other hand, the General must know that he's always making easy things look hard and vice versa, and maybe he knew that I'd caught on to that and maybe this time the easy-looking thing really _was _easy. Or maybe, the General was just set in his ways, and the hard-looking thing was the easiest way out. I couldn't be sure, and it was getting dark, so in the end, I'd chosen the clearing.

Long story short, I ended up in a hole.

No really, as soon as I got past the trees that led to the clearing, I side-stepped this suspicious pile of leaves, thinking it was another trap, when in actuality, the real trap lay slightly to the left; in other words, right under my feet. I'd fallen right into a pit that had to be at least nine feet deep or more and that was where I remained until now.

Now it was getting dark and I was starting to panic again. The pit was too wide for me to try and climb by using my arms and legs to hold onto each side, and though my jumping skills were somewhat extraordinary, I couldn't even get my head up high enough to see the grassy ground-level. To make matters worse, I'd found a note shoved into the dirt wall, but it was absolutely useless.

Sitting with my back to one of the walls, I sighed through my nose and gazed ahead of me. I didn't know what to do. What _could _I do? I was in a hole, literally in a hole with no way out. I'd tried everything I could think of, even tried climbing straight up but the dirt was too packed for my barely-there nails to break through to get any kind of a hold.

I ran my dirty fingers through my hair and was sure I left behind bits of earth and flecks of the dried blood that still remained caked on my palms. With the darkness came cooler temperatures, and I shivered in my torn and soiled t-shirt and sweats. I rubbed my arms, but winced because I still had open cuts there. The ones on my face didn't hurt anymore, but if I touched them, even gingerly, it was a different story.

_Maybe I misjudged General Zair, _I thought tiredly. _I kinda' thought he didn't like me, then I thought he was just...crazy. I know he and Daisy are close, and sometimes when people feel like the person they care about is in trouble or if another person is coming between their relationship with them, they do unsavory things. Like with Danny and how he was always giving me the evil eye, only Zair's out to make my life hell and probably kill me while he's at it...why else would he be doing this? _

And once again, that whispering voice reminded me that I wasn't a hapless child or mindless drone; I had a choice whether or not to participate in his insane training. But it wasn't like I could back down; that would've meant me sitting around the palace doing nothing but taking up space and counting the hours until Daisy blessed me with her presence...speaking of her...

_I hate to say it, but things were better in Brooklyn. Yeah, my apartment was shitty and so was my job and my car and that whole part of town, but she was there. Daisy made it a whole lot better by just being there with me. I could count on seeing her every single day, and not just at night before we went to sleep. We woke up together, ate out together, watched stupid stuff on tv together; it was great. _

I remembered all these random things all of a sudden. Brushing our teeth, trying to use the same little mirror. Walking around the mall. Riding in the car talking about milkshakes and why they weren't free because couldn't I understand how much better the world would be if everyone had at least one. A million seemingly insignificant memories flitted behind my eyes: when had I closed them?

When I opened them, they stung, and it wasn't because of the wind or the pungent smell of earth all around me. I couldn't live without this girl. Part of the reason why I loved her was that, in times like this when I was content to just sit here until Zair came back for me or not or whatever, she gave me the strength to get up, clap the dirt off my hands, and try just a little bit harder. I would have to, if I wanted to see her again.

_I'm doing this for Daisy, _I clarified within myself, knowing she'd want me to go on, to fight until the last ounce of energy was expended from me. I stepped forward and reached for the crumpled white paper I'd tossed away in frustration and disgust. With no great haste I unfolded it and read through it again.

**_Knowledge and Experience are the tools of life and can be called upon when encountering pitfalls_**

Knowledge and experience got me here in the first place; if I would have just handled the situation without basing it off of previous experiences with the traps and the girl, I would have known to choose the wooded area first. But no, I thought this would be better because I was counting on the General to know I'd be mistrustful of clearings after nearly being killed in one. But then something occurred to me.

_This is a big forest and the notes keep popping up, so either Zair somehow knew the exact path I would take and left them for me to find, or he left notes all over the forest. _

Or he was following me around.

_No, I would've heard him, _I figured. Besides, it was much more likely that he may have accounted for every possible path I would have taken and left notes in different places. There was no way he knew exactly where I would go. Some of the notes did seem a bit related or tied in to one another, but that had to be because of their proximity within each other. I guess.

It was late, and I was tired and still hungry and cold. My mind wasn't totally up to par when it came to deductive reasoning and problem solving. I was just ready to get the hell out of these woods and if I never saw another tree, it'd be too soon and too good.

I read over the note again and wracked my brain for some inkling of information that would fit the clue and help me in this situation. I thought back beyond the clearing with the traps and the one with the girl and recalled every single note I'd read. Sometimes, the clue was obvious, like when I was walking in circles and literally had to form a new path. Other times, it was harder to pick out the meaning in the notes; blind luck was the only way I'd gotten down from that tree. But this time, I think it was a combination of both those things. Knowledge and Experience, they had to stand for something else, but what? Something that would get me out of this pit.

I could have kicked myself.

I reached into my pockets and pulled out the two blades, the ones I'd confiscated from the homicidal chick a while back. With one in each hand, I made the correlation.

_Knowledge, _I said, glancing at the one in my left hand, then at the one in my right; _Experience. _

I bet old Zair thought he was clever with this one. Whatever. I was feeling better now that I'd deciphered the clue, and stood near the dirt wall wondering what to do now. I thought back to earlier, rolling the blades through my palms. It didn't hurt, in fact the cool handles felt kind of nice against my warm, abused flesh.

_I tried climbing with my bare hands and that didn't work, _I noted, _but maybe these blades are sharp enough to break through the wall. _

Taking a breath and bracing myself for possible failure so as not to get my hopes up too high, I jammed the blade in my right hand as far as I could into the dirt wall. It not only broke through the surface, but cleaved smoothly up to the hilt. My grin was brief. I yanked the blade back out with minimal effort and knew what I had to do.

Stabbing the wall high over my head, I planted one foot on the wall and leaned my weight on the knife. I didn't know if I thought it would snap or come out of the wall but nothing happened, save for a light sprinkling of dirt showering over my head. I shook it and blinked the specks of dust out of my eyes, then started to climb. Working up a steady pace, I got faster the higher I went, using the two blades as leverage. In no time I was hoisting myself over the edge of the pit and rolled onto my back on the damp grass. I had the bright white moon staring back at me along with a whole slew of little twinkling stars; I was in that pit for longer than I'd realized.

_All the more reason I'm glad to be out, _I thought, releasing a breathy sort of laugh of relief. I was _so _glad to be out, but now I had another choice to make.

Standing, I dusted off my clothes but what for? They were still stained, sticky, and ruined. I scratched my head and glanced around the ground floor. It was hard to tell at night if there were more pits, but I was willing to bet my left hand there had to be more. So I wouldn't be sticking around this area, but at the same time, who's to say if I go back to the wooded area that some other, greater obstacle wouldn't be waiting for me?

_I'll have to take that chance, _I thought with the growing darkness in mind.

Creatures come out at night and I _definitely _did not want to be around for that sort of horror.

So, putting one foot in front of the other, I headed towards the fork in the woods where I'd made my awful decision, hoping I wasn't on the way to making another. I gulped a tiny bit, apprehensive but more exasperated than anything, and forced my way through the dense, wooded area. It was no surprise when the errant branches and bushes once again snagged on my clothes and re-opened cuts on my face and arms. But what was surprising was what lay on the other side of those woods.

_You've gotta' be kidding me _

I rubbed at my eyes to be sure I wasn't still sleep in that pit, having some kind of fever dream. Never mind the fact that the theory didn't make sense, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Grass.

Open air.

Freedom.

"Congratulations."

The softly-spoken word held no sort of emotion or tone, it was empty and just barely-audible. I had to glance to the right to be sure I'd heard the General's voice and not the wind or a hallucination. It was him. He was there. Standing there, black eyes contemplative, back straight and hands clasped behind him.

"Did you find my notes helpful?" He asked, slightly inquisitive but mostly still somber.

I snorted very softly, my body was tired, and said, "You could say that."

"I should expect you'd like to get back to the palace now." He surmised.

"Yeah."

"...Would you still like the position?" Zair asked me, seriously and quietly.

And I couldn't help but ask, "What do _you _think?"

I'd nearly died for that damn position ten times over, I risked losing limbs and fell in pits and bled and sweated and contemplated my sanity for that _damn _position. I may as well get it now lest it all have been in vain. I'd long since reached the point of turning back.

Zair was still silent. To my mild shock, he didn't grin or even crack a smile. He was just looking at me intensely, but not to the point to where I wanted to squirm. He just stared for the longest time before he spoke again.

"Luigi," He started in that same soft voice, "I think you've done remarkably well with your training and, should you still want the position, it is yours. You're cunning and you're resourceful and you're more than qualified to lead nothing less than the _finest _troops this country has to offer."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't taken aback. My look must've been plain to see because only now did the General's blank features melt into a faint grin.

"Oh come now," He spoke lightly, "What did you think these tests were for?"

"...Your amusement..."

General Zair grinned fully now and said, "Not completely, they weren't. That was just a happy coincidence."

_I knew it! _

"Get some rest, Luigi." The General advised. "You'll be able to meet your troops in two days."

* * *

Iggy was a curious child. There was always a question on the tip of his tongue, but unlike his brother Larry who voiced every thought that passed through his blue-haired head, Iggy knew how to hold in his inquiries and act on them investigatively rather than probe and pester others around him for answers. He didn't much trust others, anyway, and opted to find out things for himself. And there was so much he wanted to find out about himself and the world around him. One thing he wanted to know right now was what could've possible possessed someone to bring into existence the unholy creation that was pickle and sardine cookies.

Oh, that's right.

The scientist did it. Moxin Sanus.

_I'm starting to think he's a self-proclaimed doctor, _Iggy thought, staring at the mottled cookies and trying not to grimace. He still didn't want to offend his host.

Dr. Sanus had showed Iggy and Lemmy to a seat in his 'kitchen', which looked more like a lab than anything with all the knobs and gears and metal and glass tubes and containers. In fact, the entire 'house' just looked like a lab that extended from one room to the next. He and his brother sat atop two barstools that were, although metal, hardly identical. It looked like everything from the barstools to the countertop to the flooring to the fans on the ceiling was homemade. That wasn't a comforting thought, especially not when the fans over the boys' heads was swinging so hard it sounded like it was about to come crashing down on them.

Instinctively, Iggy wrapped an arm around his younger brother.

Lemmy looked up from his plate of cookies to his brother and swung his legs. He didn't seem any more enthused about the doctor/scientist's proffered snack than Iggy did.

Pushing his plate to the side, Iggy watched Dr. Sanus move from the front door back to the kitchen. He moved in the same way a nervous geriatric patient would; slow, but with great determination to get where he was going. In this case, it was a spot behind the counter and, once there, Dr. Sanus sat upon an unseen stool and rested his arms on the top of the surface.

"So." Dr. Sanus spoke, "Where would you like to start?"

Iggy eyed the fans above because he could barely hear the doctor and said man was right across from him. Dr. Sanus noticed where the boy's lime eyes went and said 'Oh!' before mashing a button under the counter, making the fan come to a jarring halt. Iggy relaxed a bit, knowing the odds of leaving this place alive and in one piece had just been greatly increased.

He clasped his hands in his lap and stated politely, "I would like to know what the Great War is."

"_Was,_" Dr. Sanus immediately corrected, his unibrow furrowing. "It _was _a nasty, bloody war. Just awful. Killed a lot of people, most of 'em weren't even fighting, had nothing to do with either side."

"What sides were fighting?" Iggy then asked.

He didn't need to know why they were fighting; why did anyone ever fight? A differing of interests or opinions on some matter, either trivial or severe, with everyone thinking they were right and no one willing to back down. War.

Dr. Sanus blew out a sigh and his mismatched eyes rolled up to the ceiling, "Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Mario and the goodies, and old Bowser and the baddies."

_Goodies and baddies? That doesn't tell me anything, _Iggy frowned. He was around the age where he knew there was no such thing as permanent alignment; it was all a matter of perception since everyone seemed to have their own set of morals and could hardly be subjective when guaging another's.

"Who sided with Mario?" Iggy asked, "And who sided with Bowser?"

"Mario had his brother, naturally," Dr. Sanus recalled, "plus a bunch of others, like those Bean folk, and the space lady, and the little toad people, and some other friendlies. And Bowser, well, he had just about everyone else, either 'cause they were a baddie or 'cause he forced them to fight for him."

_I'm not sure that's any better, _Iggy frowned at the liberal use of nicknames and monikers. He did know Mario's brother Luigi quite intimately, so he figured he'd get more information from him. But then that made him think; if Luigi fought in the Great War, how come Iggy didn't remember him? Or remember the Great War, period?

"When was the Great War?" Iggy asked.

"Not too long ago," Dr. Sanus answered vaguely. "It went on for forever but it ended about two years ago, I believe."

_Two years ago I was at the bunker with my brothers and sister, _Iggy knew, but that was fuzzy for him. He would like to say that's where he was, but he had no real idea how much time he'd spent there. It was like being in purgatory for him, or like being in a dream or a combination of both in that he couldn't trace it back to the beginning and the days seemed to just go on and on, bleeding into one another. The only thing that stood out were Ludwig's sporadic visits.

"Was Ludwig in the war?" Iggy then asked.

Dr. Sanus' eyebrow twitched in a way the boy would probably recount in future nightmares as the doctor rubbed his chin. He tilted his head and something even more disturbing happened; the white, tangled mass of his hair lurched to the left and fell right off his head. A wig.

"Oops!" Dr. Sanus chuckled, then righted the hairpiece.

Iggy nearly forgot what he asked and beside him, Lemmy flinched and closed his eyes tightly, as if to shut out the image of the the cracked and scaly bald head underneath that austere white wig. Iggy reached over and rubbed his little brother's back soothingly before turning back to the doctor. Yes, he was unnerved, too, but he wanted answers.

Dr. Sanus told him, "I believe your brother did fight, but it wasn't for nobody; he wasn't on neither side, that is, or couldn't anybody tell what side he was for if he was."

Iggy wasn't sure what to make of that garbled sentence.

"That war there tore up the Mushroom World real bad," Dr. Sanus spoke gravely, "it messed up a lot of people and creatures, too, mostly 'cause of the magic being thrown back and forth."

"Magic?" Iggy spoke, interested. "Who used magic?"

"Both sides," Dr. Sanus emphasized with a quirk of his black brow. "Bowser, he had scores of magicians working for him, and Mario, he had a few magic buddies too, but not as many as the old Dark King. They _both _used dark magic, and so much so that nobody knows who sent that last curse out."

"What last curse?"

"The Composition Curse." Dr. Sanus spoke in low voice. "That curse is legend, it did in hundreds and altered thousands more."

"How?" Iggy wanted to know, ignoring the chill that went up his spine at the frequent mention of death and murder.

He'd long sense grown accustomed to hearing about such things, though he did glance at Lemmy to see if it bothered the child.

Lemmy was still swinging his feet and trying hard to keep up with the conversation. Intelligent as he was, he was still only seven and couldn't pronounce, let alone comprehend, a lot of what was being discussed.

"There's no one way the Composition Curse affects you," Dr. Sanus said slowly, tilting his head and making his wig slide dangerously towards the floor. "But I guess the pattern would be if it didn't kill you, it changed your...body, your...form."

Iggy blinked, having been distracted by the wig, and wondered why Ludwig never mentioned the Great War.

_Yeah, I suppose I don't need to ask that, _Iggy thought bitterly. _Ludwig kept a lot of secrets. _

As if reading Ig's mind, Dr. Sanus said, "Nobody knew where you lot were at. You disappeared near the time of the war, and stayed gone long after. In fact, I myself never saw you again 'til now."

_Again, _Iggy thought, _that means he knew us before, or at least saw us. How does he know Ludwig? Or how does Ludwig know him? And why did Ludwig want me to come here?_

"What do you know about my siblings and me?" Iggy summarized his internal inquiries with that one question, then added, "I mean before the war."

"You used to serve the Dark King." Dr. Sanus stated plainly.

_That's what King Boo told me, _Iggy thought with a faint frown. He wasn't getting as much information as he would have liked.

Iggy tried to be more specific in hopes of a similar reply by asking, "What did we do?"

"Whatever he asked." came Dr. Sanus' 'detailed' response. Thankfully, he added, "Mostly he had you fighting the Mario Brothers."

Iggy blinked, wondering why he would fight the brothers who'd been nothing but kind to him and his siblings. Well, with Ludwig there was a bit of a strain, from what he could see with Luigi, but mostly Mario and Luigi were good people. It didn't make sense to fight them.

_Unless they did something in the past, or hated us in the past, _Iggy frowned. _But why would they be nice now, all of a sudden? And Luigi never mentioned the fact that he used to fight us. What's that about? I don't remember fighting him or working for Bowser either, but that's probably thanks to Ludwig. _

"Why were we fighting the Mario Brothers?" Iggy asked. "What did they do?"

"They rubbed the Dark King the wrong way," Dr. Sanus replied. "Kept mucking up his plans for world domination and such. Every bad and nasty thing he did, they undid it. Course, they weren't without fault, but for the most part, they were goodies and Bowser was the baddest baddie of them all."

"But why were _we _the ones fighting them if they were Bowser's enemies?" Iggy asked.

He blinked because the name 'Bowser' felt strange and foreign on his tongue, yet he couldn't shake the sense that he'd said it at least a thousand times before.

"You fought them because the Dark King told you to," Dr. Sanus responded with a shrug that his eyebrow seemed to mimic.

"But what about our parents, our mother and father?" Iggy questioned. "Didn't they have a say in all this? Didn't they care that we were working for the Dark King?"

The adolescent didn't understand why Dr. Sanus gave a wry little chuckle when he said, "Well there's that, for you. Your parent was right there with you: You all have different mothers, but your father was the same."

"...You don't mean," Iggy trailed as it occurred to him.

"That's right." Dr. Sanus nodded, "Your father, and your brothers' father, and the father of your sister, is-"

"-The Dark King." Iggy finished softly.

He took a moment to let that sink in, gazing down at his pale hands in his lap. Beside him, Lemmy's eyes widened, then narrowed in confusion. He understood that last sentence and was confused by it.

_I thought the Dark King was B-Jun's daddy,_ he frowned. _So if he's my daddy, too, then that must mean...B-Jun is my brother! _

And his childish mind could hardly see a problem with finding out his best friend was actually his brother. In fact, this seemed like good news, were it not for the fact that Lemmy also knew the Dark King was decidedly very 'bad'. Iggy knew this as well, but to a greater degree. He'd heard different things about Bowser throughout his quest for knowledge and none of them made the revelation of his true parentage go down easily. Mass murderer, tyrant, great hulking beast if the illustrations of him around his castle were accurate. Iggy had been in the late king's palace for some time and had rummaged around for information several times. Apparently Bowser loved himself and had portraits commissioned in his image. That only made Iggy think of more questions.

_How could an animalistic beast like that be my father? I'm not human, I really don't know what I am, but I'm not **that,** _Iggy ascertained.

"If Bowser is my...our father, then how come none of us look like him?" Iggy asked quietly.

None of them had the fearsome visage of the scaly, fire-breathing dragon-turtle hybrid, not even Junior and he was for sure the Dark King's son. So Iggy couldn't help but be skeptical of this news.

Dr. Sanus chuckled a bit more and said, "Well thanks to the Curse, you'll find that _now _old Bowser looks more like you, or at least he did before he got offed by your brother."

Iggy frowned at that news. He didn't know the details, but that was the story that was circulating; Ludwig had moved them into the palace mainly because he'd killed Bowser first. Sure, he knew that Ludwig was fighting the Dark King alongside Luigi and the others, but he didn't know his eldest sibling was the one to deal the final blow. It was truly something to find out, and had a hand in shaping Iggy's perception of his brother.

Iggy gazed at the doctor and pointed out, "You didn't explain how my siblings and I don't look like how Bowser used to look. If he is, _was, _our father, that is."

"You did used to look like him," Dr. Sanus replied, puffing out a breath. "And frankly, I don't know why your appearance changed. Maybe due to your human heritage, the magic started wearing off, or who knows."

"What?" Iggy frowned, "What human heritage?"

Dr. Sanus sighed again, longer this time, and said, "Let me break it down for you, sonny. I was drafted by the late Dark King, rest his soul, to be a part of a special project. This was years and years ago, mind you."

Iggy sat at the edge of his barstool and listened alertly. His pale, slim fingers tightened around one another as he grew anxious with the telling of this latest tale.

"You see, Bowser kept getting thwarted by the Mario Brothers, and his minions were no help, either. The Goobers, or Goombas were the worst." Dr. Sanus shook his head, making his wig tremble threateningly. "So Bowser decided he would make a _new _set of minions, one that would be made from a combination of his own power and the...human element."

Iggy shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He didn't like hearing those words; 'make', 'made'. It sounded so cold, clinical, like terms attributed to inanimate objects. A table is made, a child should be born.

_Was I not born? _Iggy listened closely to find out.

"Here's where I come in," Dr. Sanus stated. He scratched his wig for some odd reason and said, "I was charged with taking the, ah, the human female's dna and joining it with, erm, the Dark King's 'essence'."

Iggy found his intelligence to be a hindrance, for in that moment he clearly put two and two together and knew what the doctor was refusing to say. He knew the dynamics of copulation and conception and reproduction, he knew what exact 'thing' was collected from the female and what 'substance' was collected from Bowser. It made him cringe, and feel that much more disconcerted about his origins. Still he listened, because he just had to know.

"Well, after the...samples were joined," Dr. Sanus spoke difficultly, "Some magicians were brought in to infuse the two with magic so that the resulting offspring would be a magical creature."

_That's what I am...a creature, _Iggy thought detachedly.

"And just a few months later, with careful monitering and the right sort of nurturing, your brother Ludwig was born!" Dr. Sanus announced, his voice loud after the awkward silence.

_Born, _Iggy repeated in his head. But he wasn't too enthused to hear that word now, not with all the scientific facts of the event having been laid out. Ludwig wasn't born, he was created. Probably in a lab.

_Not that it would be any better if it was a nursery, _Iggy thought sardonically.

Created in a lab like some kind of science project; the doctor _had _called it a project. No, Ludwig was not born, he was formed. Brought into existence because of someone else's impatience to kill someone else. Ludwig wasn't born, he was put together like a recipe from a psychopath's cookbook, designed to destroy someone he didn't even know.

_No wonder he is the way he is, _Iggy mused. He then realized that, being who he was, Ludwig must have hunted for these same answers. In fact, Iggy knew he did; their last encounter at King Boo's was telling: Ludwig had admitted he'd been down the same road. So, knowing where he came from and why he came to be, Ludwig must have felt...Iggy couldn't imagine what his brother felt, but knew it lent itself to how jaded the navy-haired sorcerer was.

_No wonder he told me not to push the issue, _Iggy frowned.

He didn't care, though. True, this information was disconcerting, but he wasn't sorry for receiving it. He would rather know than live in ignorance.

Dr. Sanus was talking again, saying, "Ludwig served the king so well that the Dark King signed off for more like him to be made. And that's when the rest of you lot came along."

"So none of us were born, then." Iggy spoke thickly, his voice sounding strange with some unnamed emotion. "We were just...slapped together in a lab."

"Technically you were hatched." Dr. Sanus interjected. "In an incubator."

"Like that helps." Iggy remarked with a scowl.

Dr. Sanus just shrugged, and it was then that Iggy wished he'd had someone with a bit more tact and sensitivity to break the news to him. As it was, the doctor's callous, offhand style wasn't doing a thing for his bruised psyche. It was bad enough to know that he and his siblings were created and not conceived like normal people, but to find out they'd essentially been created to destroy was just...

"...Sad." Iggy murmured numbly, then borrowed from Roy and added, "_Fucking_ tragic."

He then wondered how his pink-haired older brother would take this news and decided then that he wouldn't be the one to tell him. Not yet, not while it was still so fresh in his own mind, not when he didn't even know how to process this knowledge himself. He didn't even bother looking down to see how Lemmy was taking it. If he had, he would have seen the uncertain waver in the little boy's eyes, not at the news but at hearing Iggy curse.

In a small voice he asked, "What of my mother?"

"What was that, sonny?" Dr. Sanus frowned, "Speak up, these ears ain't what they used to be."

"Do you know anything about my mother?" Iggy asked in a clearer voice.

Dr. Sanus shook his head and Iggy felt his stomach drop and a weight settle on his shoulders. Inside him, something heavy and angry started to take form.

He barely heard the doctor say, "I only recieved the samples from the human females. Only the Dark King could tell you who those women were, and, well. He's gone and croaked, so."

Hope alighted in Iggy.

He considered telling the doctor that he was wrong, that Bowser was still alive according to his little brother, but Iggy knew he had no more information to gain from Dr. Sanus. So he stood from his barstool and thanked the doctor for his time and took his brother's hand and teleported back to the small inn they'd gotten to. It was in town, about a thousand miles from the middle-of-nowhere-ville that the doctor's 'house' was in. Once alone again in their borrowed room, Iggy sat at the edge of the bed and recounted the day.

His father had turned out to be a greedy bastard. He, himself, wasn't even remotely human, was more of a lowly animal than anything. He was only put on this planet to kill someone else. And even if he wanted to talk to someone about it, the doctor was too insensitive, Lemmy was too little, and the rest of his siblings were several countries away.

_I could go to King Boo, _he thought, but then shook his head. _King Boo wouldn't understand. But then again, Ludwig is there, maybe he would- _

And Iggy nipped that thought before it even could finish forming. He didn't want to talk to Ludwig. Didn't want to hear his over-inflated-ego-self tell him 'I told you so' or something infuriatingly close to that. He wanted to talk to someone who would help him understand his feelings, not condemn him for them, or throw scorn or, at the very best for Ludwig, pity. He knew there was too much bad blood between them anyway.

_We didn't exactly part on good terms, _Iggy frowned. _Even if he did help me out, who's to say he didn't do it so that I'd turn out to be just as jaded and cynical as he was once I found out? After all, he did know what I would find and didn't even try to warn me. _

But something told him he was being unfair and that his eldest brother had tried several times, in his own controlling way, to leave the subject unbroached. Ludwig had tried to deter him but Iggy just figured it was because Ludwig had an agenda and that wasn't part of it.

_I still don't want to talk to him, _Iggy thought bitterly. He did see how Ludwig could be the way he was, though. He did gain that bit of insight. This wasn't easy to swallow. Only now did he look at Lemmy. Sitting on the bed beside him, Lemmy met his eyes with an unsure expression, and Iggy only absently reached down to rub his back gently.

But then, seeing Lemmy, Iggy remembered that spark of hope. He glanced back at Lemmy, his lime eyes growing alert by the second as that wistful emotion built inside him.

"Lemmy," He spoke softly, "Did you say that Junior's father was alive?"

_That 'our' father is alive, _his mind corrected.

Lemmy nodded and said, "B-jun left with his daddy a while ago."

"Are you sure, Lemmy?" Iggy pressed. "You're sure it was his father and not someone else?"

"He was with his daddy," Lemmy insisted. "I seen his daddy lots of times. He looks like B-Jun, only bigger and stronger and taller. And he said he remembered me. Is that 'cause he's our daddy, too?"

Iggy cringed at that and said, "I don't know."

But that had him thinking. Only seven but honest Lemmy was, so Iggy knew to trust his brother. Either the Dark King lived or an imposter had him and Junior fooled. And if the Dark King lived, Iggy could track him down and get answers about who his mother was and where she may be. There was still hope.

But now there were more questions.

_If Ludwig knew this information, why did he kill the Dark King? Our father, _Iggy corrected again hesitantly. _But wait, if Lemmy says he saw him and Junior left with him, then he's still alive. So what did Ludwig do to Bowser? And was he at the palace the whole time we were there? Where was he? What was he doing? Hiding? Why would he be hiding? Ludwig had his power, and he was out of the picture, so could that mean...Ludwig did something to...incapacitate the Dark King? _

Iggy's mind was sharp as a whip as he contemplated these things. He'd come upon the information of Ludwig taking the Dark King's power through King Boo and, based on his knowledge of the Dark King, he couldn't say he was the type to just hand over his powers to just anyone; if at all.

_So that would mean Ludwig took the powers by force; but why? If Ludwig knew Bowser was our father and Ludwig was working for him, why would he take his powers? Unless he wasn't working for him anymore..._

Another thing King Boo had intimated in so few words was that Bowser and Ludwig never had the best relationship. Knowing what he did now, Iggy could understand why that would be. However, he still wondered why Ludwig kept the king around after taking his powers.

_And why didn't he bring Junior around us at the bunker, _Iggy now pondered. _If he's Bowser's son as well and Ludwig kept us at the bunker, why didn't he get his brother Junior? Why did he keep us at the bunker in the first place? _

Asking why Ludwig did any of the things he did was like asking why water was wet. Iggy knew that even if he did corner his brother in his unfamiliar, child-like state, there was no guarantee that Ludwig would even humor him with answers to these questions. He just had to get to the source, get answers straight from the beast's mouth:

"I have to pay my father a visit."

* * *

**A/N: here's another chapter for you all. Hope you had fun reading because it was hard to get this out. I have less and less time now as I'm working more and it's harder for me to update. I have money issues, meaning money is due and I have none so I have no choice but to keep working. Sorry that my updates are suffering because of that but it can't be helped. **

**Anyway. **

**If it wasn't clear, I'll break it down: bowser had his 'little swimmers' joined with the 'scrambled eggs' of a human woman and had his magicians splash some magic over that and, after putting it through a science-y microwave (incubator) for some months, little Ludwig was here. He hatched, because magic, and his development was sped up, again magic, and he served bowser so well that the rest of the koopalings came along in the subsequent years: that's how their ages line up the way they do. **

**I hope that clears it up. **

**Next chapter, we'll see how Daisy is doing on her kingdom tour and we'll see how Luigi adjusts to being a leader. And we'll also check in with the Dark King and his little son (who, if you can remember, bowser claims to have come about by...the old fashioned method) **

**I really hope you guys are still enjoying this story because reading your reviews are the best part of my days, usually I have a baby and a cat to cheer me up but I don't always get to see them. So don't be stingy with the feedback, people! Tell me what you think/liked/hated/want to see in the stories! **

**Until next time!**

**~DymondGold~**


	11. Chapter 11

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to**

**Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving**

**me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!**

**I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,**

**but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this**

**story to make it more interesting.**

**I also don't own anything related to Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

* * *

After sitting through what felt like a thousand trials, it was nice to get a moment's peace. That peace came in the form of a quiet hallway in the Court of Justice building in her kingdom of Birabuto. Daisy arrived sometime last night and had slept fitfully in a tent near the rest of her troops. Early this morning she 'woke' and dressed in formal periwinkle robes that were much too hot for the climate in the sandy, arid kingdom, but Chai's bi-laws dictated formal dress for this occasion. And the occasion? Trial after trial after trial after agonizingly long trial of various officials and leaders who were to be ousted from their respective positions. If this sounded like something that could be done by Birabuto's own legislative body, then that was because it was; the only reason Daisy had to come and sit in was to maintain order. Apparently people just couldn't remain civil enough for trials to proceed without the presence of their ruling Princess and the small legion of Chai dignitaries.

_But I can't lay too much blame on them, _Daisy sighed, dropping her head into her hands. She shifted on the dusty stone bench in the empty hall and stared at the equally dusty ground in between her legs and beneath her feet. She'd abandoned her outer blue robe now and just wore her nice white blouse and tailored blue slacks. Because of the heat, Daisy had her dark locks up in an elegant braided chiffon style. She thought on the state of this kingdom. Like Easton, it wasn't left unscathed from Tatanga's reign.

From what she'd garnered, Tatanga's mind control was heaviest with the leaders of the kingdom, and even after he'd been ousted by the league of retired generals in Chai, the leaders here in Birabuto still remained corrupted. They'd made slaves of their fellow countrymen, laid heavy taxes and outrageous laws for everyone but themselves to follow. The back-breaking work and highway robbery style taxes that the working class had to endure forced many of them into poverty. From then on, people did whatever they had to do to guarantee another meal and that sometimes meant selling one's property, possessions, or even family members over to the government. And when the people tried to civily protests these injustices, even going so far as to have thousands of people sign petitions and whatnot, the government simply spat on their efforts and redoubled their output of harsh laws, bills, and statutes. That bred a lot of enmity between the ruling officials and the citizens, which led the resulting years of constant rebellions and uprisings no surprise to anyone. The rioting people tore up the kingdom's historic landmarks and buildings and artifacts, not deliberately, but once a fire got started or bombs were thrown back and forth, it was hard to control what got destroyed and what didn't.

This kingdom was a mess.

But fortunately, change was on the horizon. Daisy had seen to that for the better part of the last twelve and half hours she'd spent at the Court of Justice building. With each case, a bit of hope was returned to the people. Chai was known to be a stickler for the rules, so no head was turned the other way when prosecuting each and every last individual associated with the crimes of bribery, extortion, petty larceny, blackmail, treason, animal cruelty, manslaughter, and general lawlessness. So many times the judges of Birabuto had simply overturned case after case that the citizens of the kingdom expected no less and were known to storm the courthouse demanding fairness. More often than not that led to violence and no real progress being made. But with Daisy there, their fair Princess, a lot of the citizens held their peace to see which side she would take.

_I didn't really do anything, _she noted to herself. But that was all that was needed; the people just needed to see her there, to see that she did indeed care about them and their welfare because, for so long, the Birabuto government had tried to instill in them that they didn't matter. So when all the crooked officials were duly put away for prison time or hard labor or whatever the merciless substitute judge from Chai Kingdom thought was fit for them to receive as punishment, a great cry went up from the citizens. At first Daisy feared they were revolting, but she could see the tears, happy tears, and could hear the relief and gratefulness behind that loud herald: they were just rejoicing upon seeing a day they never thought would come to pass. A day where fairness actually prevailed.

_And it will continue to prevail, _Daisy thought adamantly. She'd been highly upset to hear of the state of things here when she was back in Chai, and she knew she'd have to do something about this. She just knew she'd have to rectify matters. So when given the opportunity, she made sure to leave behind leaders from Chai who would act as surrogate officials in place of the old ones for a probationary period of five years. After that, the people of Birabuto would be free to petition for their own leaders.

Daisy lifted her head when she heard the tale-tale scuffle of sandals hitting the floor of the hall floor. Like a lot of buildings in Birabuto, the structure around the internal courthouse was mostly open to the elements. This was an ingenuitive way to keep people cool seeing as how indoor air commodities were rare and reserved for important events. This was one of those events, which would explain why the princess wasn't drowning in a pool of her own sweat by now. For that she was grateful, but she couldnt' help but wish for a few more moments of peace and quiet after dealing with the racous trials.

"Your Majesty, I cannot thank you enough!" Came the voice of the man coming down the hall.

Daisy blinked at him, it was getting close to sundown, and stood upon recognizing him. He was one of the rare few officials who _weren't _corrupt, and in turn, he wasn't very popular with the others who'd been thrown into prison. Daisy knew of social politics, she knew what staying true to the people would mean for this man; his common clothing was a testament to how he'd been received by the other shady members of the government: his salary must have been cut when he chose to stand apart from them.

He wore plain white, flowing clothes. White was the color of the working man, seeing as how they weren't rich enough to afford fine dyes and embroiderings. The man not only wore white, but also none of the jewelry and other adornments from when Daisy last saw him when she was a very little girl. He'd not changed much save for the fact that there were a lot more wrinkles on his already-weathered face, and the little hair he still had was gray around his head. He came up to where Daisy stood and reached for her hand, then pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Oh, you've grown dear Princess!" He spoke with heart as he hugged her. "The last time I saw you, your mama was toting you on her hip!"

Daisy smiled and hugged the man back. He'd always seemed so caring and 'grandfatherly'. She pulled back and he patted her shoulder affectionately.

"Again I must thank you," He stated, "You really inspired a lot of people."

"I wish I could do more," Daisy admitted modestly.

"You've done more than enough!" The man claimed, then said, "Won't you do me the honor of letting my wife and me host you at our home tonight?"

"Oh, I couldn't," Daisy immediately declined.

"Please, Your Majesty!" The man insisted. "It would be the greatest honor! We've already got dinner and a room prepared!"

_Well, a hot meal and a warm bed does sound good after this long day, _Daisy wavered. With her hesitation, the man's smile grew. Daisy nodded at last and together they headed to his home.

Now he was part of the Senate, so his estate wasn't shabby, even after his salary had been cut. The home was large and inviting, and as soon as they got through the door, a petite older woman greeted them.

"I see you've arrived with the little Princess, Joseph!" The woman beamed happily.

She greeted Daisy with a bow and a hug and her husband guided Daisy further into the house. Dinner was already on the table, like he'd said.

He also said, "She's not so little anymore, Merida. You should've seen how she handled those nasty vipers down at the Court of Justice. For once, the place was host to its namesake!"

Daisy smiled under his generous praise and allowed him to show her to a seat at the head of the long table. Joseph sat at the other head with his wife at his right. Another male came into the room with a woman on his arm and several boys and girls in tow.

With twinkling eyes, Joseph told her, "Allow me to introduce to you my son, Philanteas. He's a soldier down in Birabuto's armies. And this is his wife, Ophea, and their children, my grandchildren."

The soldier was wearing his uniform and gave his parents a small nod on his way to the princess. When he reached her, Philanteas bowed at the waist with his wife, who urged her several children to do the same. Clumsily, they did. It put a smile on Daisy's tired face.

"A pleasure and an honor to meet you, Your Majesty." Philanteas spoke in a quiet, reverant voice.

His wife nodded and said, "My father-in-law was too kind to invite us tonight."

_So they knew about this in advance, _Daisy deduced, then realized it would explain the family's presence at Joseph's house. Surely they didn't all live together, not with Philanteas' salary; being a soldier was a rewarding career, financially that is. She wasn't sure if it could make up for the occupational hazards, the constant threats on one's life, and the extended time away from one's family and friends.

_But they look happy enough, _Daisy observed, gazing at the couple interestedly as they introduced their many children together.

And that made Daisy's heart ache. Seeing the couple that was right around her and Luigi's age, together and happy, made her smile, but seeing their many children made a bit of envy rise in her. She wasn't jealous of them, per se, but she wanted that. She wanted to reach over and smack her little's boy's grubby fingers for reaching onto his sister's plate, she wanted to gaze at their little innocent faces and then share a private smile with her husband because this was something not everyone knew of, something they wouldn't trade for anything in the world: parenthood.

_I want that, _Daisy thought and if thoughts could be soft, wanting, and somber, that one would be the softest, most wanting one she'd ever had.

* * *

Hundreds of people traveled a certain path to and from a small town, tucked away near the base of a great mountain. The path was in plain veiw of both the city and the mountain and was a wide, dirt road. If anyone of the hundreds of people had thought to turn their head to and glance at the mountain at this very moment, they would have seen a most peculiar sight; a lean, muscular redhead with an equally red-haired little person on his back, walking up the side of the imposing natural structure whose peak pointed high in the sky. They would have seen the infamous, supposedly-dead Dark King.

Walking, of all things.

In poor-man's garb.

Although the plain white cotton shirt and black pants were lifted from a tailor through the five-finger-discount, they seemed to fit the tall creature well. As did the cheap black cloak hanging from his shoulders. It warmed his son at any rate, who was smaller and more susceptible to the increasingly cool temperatures at the higher levels of the mountains. His son was dressed similarly with his head poking from under the neck of the cloak and his legs secure in his father's grip. He was asleep by now with his head in the crook of his father's shoulder and his tangled red hair occasionally catching the growing breeze. His father was very much awake and trekking steadfastly upwards towards a destination only he knew of, with jade eyes narrowed for many reasons. For one, he was aggravated. Just because he _could _walk much farther and longer than human men didn't mean he cared to. But that stolen horse would only go so far; the narrow trail along the mountain was much too treacherous to ride horseback upon. Another reason he was aggravated was because of the sheer fact that he had to live like this; hopping from no-name city to city, hiding out like some kind of fugitive. He was a king, dammit, and he should be treated like one no matter where he went! But not everyone knew of the Dark King's more humanoid form, and they didn't know at first who they were dealing with when met with the sight of an impetuous redhead and his 'little brat'.

_But I'm pretty sure they know now, _Bowser thought with a nasty little smirk. He'd made sure to use his son's help to burn down the establishment of the first person who'd wronged him and, at that display, word of his actions spread and he usually got whatever he wanted from then on. Still. It was no match for what he wanted. He didn't want the innkeeper to hand over the keys to all the rooms with trembling fingers. He didn't want the food vendors to meekly tell him how all their wares were at his service, sir, and if he could please just take whatever he wanted, sir, and they didn't want any trouble, sir. It wasn't the rich food and luxorious lodgings he was used to.

_Soon, _he tempered himself. _Soon Nikky will come back with the clone and I'll get back what's mine and deal with the twerp and rise to power, greater power, than ever before. _

And that made the smirk on his face more permanent against the now blistering winds. His son shifted on his back and absently Bowser adjusted his body heat so that his heir wouldn't freeze before he got to the top of the mountain. Well, not quite the top.

A little while later, Bowser stopped upon reaching his destination. It wasn't quite the top, but it was close to it. Just a random spot along the side of the imposing rock edifice. There was a blank slab of mountain wall in front of him but off to the side on the ground, there was a patch of green grass and a bright, yellow flower. If one gave it just the gentlest of tugs, it was said a doorway would appear.

Bowser yanked the flower out of its roots.

"Who the hell-"

The door not only appeared, but swung open thanks to an irate female yanking on the knob. She was very slim and on the short side, but that didn't stop her from trying to unleash her fury on whoever just uprooted her precious carnation. When she saw who was at her door, her angry words died in her throat and a crafty smile found its way to her orange-painted lips. She folded tanned arms over her chest and tilted her head.

"You only had to tug it, you know." She spoke chidingly.

Bowser's smirk remained as he replied, "I know."

She shook her head and the curly, burgundy locks that weren't swept up high on her head in a knot moved freely on either side of her face. Her smooth, golden skin and gold-flecked, youthful brown eyes disguised how very old, ancient, she really was. Nor did her voice give any indication of her advanced years because it was light and sly when she spoke again.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"Didn't expect or want to be here." Bowser retorted.

"Ouch," The woman's lips twitched in a playful smile, "Then why did you come?"

"There is something I require of you." He told her evenly.

"And what's that?" She then asked with intrigue.

"Can I come in before I freeze my balls off?" He spoke agitatedly.

The woman snorted and said, "Yes, though I can hardly see how that would be anything less than a blessing for the rest of the world; we sure don't need anymore little Dark Kings and Queens running around."

She glanced pointedly at Junior, who was still sleeping and Bowser rolled his jade eyes. And while the woman moved aside, her hand brushed Bowser's arm as he stepped into her home. Suddenly her eyes widened and she smiled curiously.

"What's this?" She murmured, gazing at the fallen king.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Don't touch me, witch."

"Who's this queen of yours?" She asked instead.

Bowser ignored her, opting to stand very far from the diminutive woman so as not to be in physical contact with her. He'd known her a long time, he knew what...abilities she possessed, and he cursed himself for letting that thought slip to the forefront; once she'd mentioned Dark Queen, his mind had supplied a telling vision of a certain brunette.

The Dark King was tall so his presence was felt all the more in the tiny little hole-in-the-wall that was the woman's home. She had things everywhere like a cluttered mess; it was like a literal hunt-and-find poster. To the right of the door was her kitchen area, full of pots and pans and dishes on the counters and spices, jars, and boxes and satchels of rice and beans and salt in the cupboards. She had a kettle of tea screaming atop the tiny stove and went over to fetch it while Bowser went over to the left where a couch and coffee table lay. It was hard to distinguish this from all the papers and scrolls and parchments all over the table, and from all the blankets and pillows littering the brown couch. The floor was first covered in rugs and then in glitter and then in whatever had fallen from the table, couch, or walls. Those walls. They were the only thing relatively bare save for a few small tapestries and dream catchers. There was a tall shelf on either side of the door and near the couch and all three of them were full of little knick-knacks and vials of this and jars of that and small weapons and all sorts of other things that couldn't hold the Dark King's attention.

He just went over to the couch to transfer his sleeping son from his back to the soft, plush cushions and pillows and blanketed surface. Once his son was down, he turned and walked towards the table. It only took him a few steps in every direction to clear the entire 'house', so he was at the table in no time. With a hint of condescension he stared at the cluttered mess that lay there. There was a such thing as organization, in his opinion, and for those who couldn't be bothered, there were servants, maids, the like. This was just sloppy. Were it not for the ball of light that resembled an artificial sun over the table, he wouldn't have been able to make out the individual papers and pictures and such that made up the majority of what was on the table. He glanced at his son, still asleep, and then at the woman coming from the kitchen.

"Would you like something to eat?" She asked.

"From you?" He sniffed, "I don't think so."

_I'd like my heart to keep beating after this visit, _he thought to himself. Even though she put up a decent front, Bowser knew this woman hated him. Lots of people hated him. But he could still get them to do what he wanted.

And again, a vision of that same dark-haired girl came to his mind and he felt the cool touch of unwanted fingers on his person. This time he reached out with a low growl and seized the woman's wrist from where it'd alighted on his bicep.

"Ow, alright," She cried, "Let go! I won't touch you!"

Bowser shoved he offending hand away from himself and vowed to be more careful with his thoughts around this woman, this witch. She could pick up on any errant thought from just a bit of skin-to-skin contact. He found that useful and nerve-wracking on various occasions. Now it just pissed him off.

"Stop trying my patience, Tamaryn," He ordered. "I saved your life once, I could end it if I choose."

Tamaryn cradled her wrist to her chest and sat on her table beside the king. But not for long, because he took up a position across from her with a few feet in between them. She barely resisted the urge to smirk at what looked like the Mighty Dark King running from a woman half his size. Instead she tilted her head and toyed with one of her burgundy locks.

"Why did you come here?" She asked, "And who is that girl I keep seeing?"

Bowser only answered one question when he asked, "What do you know about the Convergence Curse?"

"Plenty," Tamaryn replied, then smirked and asked, "Why? You're not thinking of robbing some poor soul of their powers, which you clearly don't need when you've got your own, are you?"

Bowser looked away because he'd be damned if he admitted what really happened. But then he heard a sharp gasp and had to slap away the woman's hand, for in that small space of time she'd tempted fate and stepped forward to lay a hand on the back of his. Very quickly she darted behind the table as the king advanced on her.

"What did you see?" Bowser hissed, glaring at her and digging his hands into the edge of the table.

While his instincts were urging him to lay into her, his more logical side was urging him to stay back, to let this woman live so that she may be of use to him. It was easy to allay his anger seeing as how he still didn't have all his subconscious mind back and that did wonders for his self-control. Tamaryn kept the table between her and the king anyway and cast a silent protection charm over herself, just in case.

Bowser asked again, "What did you see?"

"Enough to know that _you're _the poor soul that got robbed," The witch sniffed with a tinge of mockery. "And by a kid, no less. How'd he manage to get you all chained up in-"

"Can you undo it or not?" Bowser cut in tersely, his body rigid.

"Yeah," Tamaryn drawled slowly, "But I need the kid around. I can't do it from a distance."

And speaking of distance, it was as if the witch were emboldened by her protection charm because she started closing the space in between her and the Dark King. He only let her come so far before he took a step back and gave her a pointed glared. Then he indulged in a private smirk for what he was about to say.

On the couch, Junior rolled onto his side and stuck his thumb into his mouth.

"Nikky should be bringing the clone soon." The king spoke offhandedly. "We can get this over with when he gets here."

"Clone?" Tamaryn spoke in question, then narrowed her eyes and asked. "Did you say Nikky? You don't' mean that filthy snake, Nikolai..."

Bowser's smirk grew and he arched a red brow when he asked, "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"DAMN RIGHT, IT IS!" Tamaryn suddenly bellowed, getting right up in Bowser's face.

The only child present jolted on the couch and peered around with startled jade eyes. When he saw his father nearby, unharmed and smirking still, he lay his head back down and went back to sleep.

Bowser couldn't fully relish in riling the woman up due to his current mental state, so he did notice when she tried to get her hands on him. The charm prevented him from touching her but he did side-step her before she could see anything; or so he thought.

"You _are _working with Nikolai!" She cried accusingly.

Bowser rolled his eyes and said dully, "I've always worked with the League."

"Why him?" Tamaryn blurted. "Why not Callian?"

"Nikky's the better hunter, you of all people should know that." The Dark King sneered.

Tamarayn's brown eyes flickered and she spat, "Yes, I _know _that. I'm not working with that slimy, foul-"

"See, I already told him you'd meet with him." Bowser cut in dryly.

"Meet with him about what?"

"Hell if I know." Bowser shrugged. "I told him that to get him off his ass."

"Why would you _tell _him that?" Tamaryn snapped. "I'm not meeting with him; if I see his loathsome hide I'll skin him alive!"

"No you won't." Bowser told her knowingly.

Tamaryn came to stand to the side of him with her arms folded and asked with eyes in slants, "And why is that?"

"Because I need you to do this for me." Bowser answered, then cut in before she could speak again. "Remember, you owe me."

Tamaryn let her hate shine through then. She tightened her arms where they were folded at her chest and directed a baneful glower his way, one that made her brown eyes steel and her face fill with a bit of color. Her hair seemed to catch some undetected breeze as her magic crackled dangerously around her. She could kill him now, knowing what she did about his handicapped state. But killing the Dark King was a fickle, tricky process. Supposedly, many people had come very close and yet here he stood. She couldn't take that chance, because she knew if she failed, her life was over. That's why she backed down, even though she was furious with him.

_How dare he force me to deal with that git Nikolai, _she fumed within the confines of her mind. _It's bad enough I have to deal with His Majesty, but now..._

Tamaryn's countenance suddenly lightened as she relaxed her arms so that they were folded more loosely. She regarded the king coolly and stared him right in the eyes.

"Fine." She acceded. "But tell me something, Your Highness."

Bowser arched a brow warily, glancing at her hands; they were safely resting on her own folded arms.

Tamaryn asked, "Who in the world is that girl? The pretty one with the hate in her eyes, the one who fought you and brought you to your knees-"

"How did you-" Bowser stopped when he saw his error.

Tamaryn, barefoot, had inched a single toe up under the cuff of his pants somewhere along their argument so that her skin was just barely touching the skin of his shin. She'd thrown him off when she'd put her hands away and, having been tricked, he grew irritated. He couldn't touch her, but he thought of something else.

"Are you really planning on making her your queen?" Tamaryn pressed.

Very calmly Bowser walked over to the shelf near her couch, the one filled with little glass jars and vials and little pots of this and that.

He told the woman, "That's none of your business."

"What about the Peach?"

Bowser snorted, then reached the shelf and locked eyes with the witch and put his arm behind a bunch of the items on the shelf. It became clear what he intended to do.

"No, don't!"

Bowser ignored her protests and, using his arm, swept broadly so that every item on the first rung of the shelf came toppling onto the floor. Some of them bounced harmlessly a few times on the rug-covered floor, some of them rolled away in one piece, some of them Tamaryn was able to catch in her haste, but most of them shattered and spilled their contents all over the paper and other contents on the floor. Most of those were priceless herbs, brews, ingredients, and potions that would take time and energy to replace.

From her position on the floor, cradling some of the saved jars, Tamaryn shot Bowser a nasty glare.

"Don't look at me like that, you were asking for it." He dismissed. "And you should be glad that's all I did."

"Just get out!" Tamaryn spat.

Bowser smirked and went to collect his son from the couch, deliberately smashing another of the fallen vials. Tamaryn wanted to spit on his boot.

"Nikky should be here in a few days." Bowser called as he walked out her door. "I'll be back then."

_Unfortunately, _Tamaryn thought, then spitefully muttered to herself, "I hope that girl really does kill you..."

Bowser heard her and lingered in the doorway, and Tamaryn strengthened her protection charm with an inkling of worry creeping into her body. She watched the king as his grip tightened on her doorknob, then felt her blood chill when he glanced at her over his shoulder. Tamaryn readied a curse on her tongue, but Bowser just said one more thing before he left for good.

"You know, she just might."

* * *

**A/N: There's another chapter for you. It will be a while before I can get another one out, as usual, so I hope you enjoyed the relatively quicker output rate. **

**I'll see you guys next chapter, don't forget to leave your thoughts/ideas/comments in a nice, nifty review! **

**Until next time**

**~DymondGold~**


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